Arizona republican., 1917-09-22

to ind a way which may lead to the re- alization of our own desire for peace, lasting and honorable for all parties.
 Since ascending the throne of our ancestors and fully conscious of the re- sponsibility which we bear before God and men for the fate of the Austro- Hungarian monarchy, we have never lost sight of the high aim of restoring to our peoples as speedily as possible the blessings of peace. Soon after our accession to the throne it was vouch- safed us. in common with our allies. to uruertake a step which had been con sldered and prepared by our exalted predecessor Francis Joseph, to pave the way for a lasting and honorable peace.
 We gave expression to this desire in speech from the throne delivered at the opening of the Austrian reichstrath, thereby showing that we are striving after peace that shall free the future lie of the nation from rancor and a thlrSt for revenge and that shall secure them for generations to come from the employment of armed forces Our joint government has in the meantime not failed in repeated and emphati declar- ations. which could be heard by all the world. to give expression to our own Will and that of the Austro- Hungarian n peoples to prepare an end to bloodshed nv a peace such as your holiness has in mind.
 Happy in the thought that our de- slreS from the first were directed to- ward the same object which your holi- ness today characterized as one we strive for, We have taken into close consideration the concrete and practi- cal suggestions of your holiness and | have come to the following conclu | siOns: With deep-rooted conviction we 1 agree to the leading idea of your holi- ness that the future arrangement ot
 the world must be based on the elimi- nation of armed forces and on the
 moral force of right and on the ruit
 of International justice and legality. | We, too. are imbued with the hope that strengthening of the sense of l right would morally regenerate human ! 1ty. We support, therefore, your holi- ness view that the negotiations be- 1 tween the bell:gerents should and could lead to an understanding by which with the creation of appropriate guar antees, armaments on land and sea and ] Tn the air might be reduced simultane- 1 ously, reciprOcally and gradually to q l fixed limit, and whereby the high seas which rightly belong to all the nations ! of the earth, may be freed from domi- 1 nation or paramountcy and be opened l equally for the use of all.
 Fully conscious of the importance O l the promotion of peace on the method 1 proposed by your holiness, namely tt
 submit international disputes to com ! pulsory arbitration, we are also pre- i pared to enter into negotiations regard
 ing this proposal.
 'lf as We inoat heartily desire, agree l ments should be arrived at between tn belligerents which would realize thi sublime idea and thereby give securit,
 to the Austro- Hungarian monarchy fo
 it's unhampered future development. i
 can then not be difficult to find sat
 1sfactory solution of the other ques | tons which still remain to be settle,
 between the belligerents in a spirit o justice and of a reasonable considera
 ton of the conditions for existence O
 both parties
 If the nations of the earth were t enter, with a desire for peace, int negotiations with ore another in tn
 sense of your holiness's proposals the peace would blossom forth from then
 The nations could attain complete free
 dom of movement on the high seas
 heavy material burdens could be take
 from them and new sources of pros perity opened to them
 Guided by a spirit of moderation
 and conciliation, we see in the propos
 als of your holiness a suitable basis fo
 initiating negotiations with a view t preparing a peace just to all and last
 ing, and we earnestly hope our presen
 enemies may be animated by the sam
 ideas In this spirit we beg that the Al
 mighty may bless the work of peac
 begun by your holiness"