The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-12-28
PEACE TERMS
MEET VIEWS
OF RUSSIANS
Accept eutonlc Proposal as
Basis for Negotiations
REQUEST SHORT DELAY
Austrian Premier Says War for Sake
of Conquest Should not Be
Continued.

Amsterdam, Dec. 28.---The peace
proposal made to Russia by Count
Czernin, the Austro-Hungarian pre-
mier, is acceptable to Russia as a
basis for negotiation. according to
word received from the Brest-Litovsk
conference by the way of Berlin to-
day.
Count Czernin has expressed a de-
sire to take up the negotiations at
once but a postponement has been
taken to next Wednesday at Russia 8
request.
Petrograd, Dec. 26.--The Central
Powers are ready to make an i'm
mediate general peace without COM
pulsory annexations and without con
tributions
This is their answer through Count
Czernin. the Austro-Hungarian Tor
eign Minister, made on Christmas
Day at Brest.Litovsk to the Russian
PROPOSALS, which they are ready 10
accept in most particulars as the
basis OF negotiations. They insist,
however, that the Central Powers can
not bind themselves one-sidedly to
such conditions without guarantees
that the allies of Russia Will recog-
nize and fulfil these conditions.
The Russian delegates asked for a
ten-day recess in the negotiations IN
order to put the proposal before kus-
eia's allies.
Following IS, the text OF the state
ment offering terms for a general
peace which Count Czernin made last
evening at the RussorGerman CONFER
ence at BrestL Litoysk. bgs Nia1qoe
The delegations of the Allied (Teu-
tonic) Powers, acting upon the clear
ly expressed will fg.c their Govern
ments and peoplssss will conclude as
soon as possible, a. general peace,
THE delegations. In complete accord
with the repeatedly expressed yiew7
point of their Governments, think
that the basic principles OF the Rus
sian delegation can be made the
basis of such peace.
= The delegations of the Quadruple
Alliance are agreed Immediately TO
conclude general peace without
forcible annexations and indemnities.
They share the view of the Russian
delegation, which condemns the con
tinuation of the war purely for aims
OF conquest.
The statesmen of the Allied (Teu-
tonic) Governments In programs and
statements have emphasized time
and again that for the sake OF con-
quest they will not prolong the war a
single day. The governments of the
allies unswervingly have followed
this view all the time They solemn
ly declare their resolve Immediately
to sign terms OF peace which will
stop this war on the above terms
equally just to all belligerents with
out exception
It is necessary, however, to indi
cate most clearly that the proposals
OF the Russian delegation could be
realized only in case all the powers
participating in the war obliGate
themselves scrupulously to adhere to
the terms, in common with al
peoples.
The powers of the Quadruple ALI
anCe HOW negotiating win ANu'oio
cannot, of course, one sidedly bino
themselves to such terms, not having
the guarantee that Russia's allies
will recognize and carry out these
terms honestly without reservation
with regard to the Quadruplt
Alliance. Starting upon these prin
ciples, and regarding the six clauses
proposed by the Russian delegation
sas basis of negotiations, the follow
ing must be stated:
Clause l. Forcible annexations o
territories seized during the war doe
mot enter into the intention of thu
called powers. About troops nov
Occupying seized territories, it mus
be stipulated in the peace treaty, /
there is no agreement before, re
garding the evacuation of thes
places.
Clause 3. 1t is not the intention o
80, DoUa