The Benson signal., 1918-02-02
HERTLING DEMANDS BRITAIN
GIVE UP GIBRALTAR FORT
RESS TO FREE SEAS.
AGREEONW.LSON PLANS
CZERNIN ASSERTS NEITHER TER.
RIToRY NOR INDEMNITY WILL
BE ASKED OF RUSSIA.

Of the German and Austrian premiers
to their respective parliaments the
opinion was expressed by officials
here that no substantial advance to-
ward the final peace sought by all
belligerents has resulted from these
declarations. -
Berlin, Jan. 26.-Count Won Hert-
ling, the German chancellor, in an
swering the recent speeches of Presi-
dent Wilson and Premier Lloyd
George, announced in the Reichstag
main committee that Germany would
not give up Alsace-Lorraine
"There are no differences between
us and President Wilson as to free
dom of the SEAS" the German chan
cellor asserted. "But it is most i'm
portant for future freedom of naviga-
ton that England relinquish strong
fortified points d'appui on important
sailing routes-such as Gibraltar, NAL
ia, Alden, Hong Kong and the Falk-
land islands,"
AS to Belgium, the chancellor said
Germany did not desire any forcible
annexation of her territory. Regard
ing occupied French territory he de-
clared that while Germany did not de-
sire annexations of it by violence he
would discuss the question of this ter
ritory only with France. The evacua-
ton of Russian territory could be dis
cussed only with Russia, he an
nounced. He expressed agreement
with certain points in President Will
sons speech and invited new pro-
posals from the allies.
Count Czernin, the Austro-Hun-
garian foreign minister, in an address
before the Reichsrath, also replied to
the speeches of the British and Amer
ican executives. He also voiced a de-
sire to continue the exchange Of
peace views with the allies.
In particular, he thought such ex-
changes between Austria Hungary and
the United States were desirable
There was no great incompatibility
between the interests of these two ma
tions, in his opinion, and an exchange
way for the other nations to join in
conciliatory discussions.
Chief interest centers in the an
nouncement of Germany's terms,
which are defined for the most part
in a negative way, however The Ger
man chancellor stated specifically that
Germany agreed with the first four
points in President Wilson's world
peace program which cover the aboli-
ton of secret diplomacy, freedom Of
the seas, equality of trade conditions
and reduction Of national ornaments.
The chancellor thought some diff
culties would be met regarding the
fifth point which treated with colonial
adjustments and asserted the princi-
pie that the interests of the popula-
tion concerned must have equal
weight with the claims of the govern
ment whose title was to be deter
mined.
AS to the question of a league of
peace, the chancellor said Germany
would be ready to discuss that after
all the other questions had been set
tied.
Austria was primarily concerned
with points 9, 10 and II in President
Wilson's speech, Chancellor Won Hert-
ling pointed out. Germany's interests
would be defended energetically
where they were involved. These
points touch upon the readjustment of
the italian frontiers along clearly rec
ognizable lines of nationality, free op-
portunity for the autonomous devel-
opment of the peoples of Austria-Hun-
gary and with the Balkan question, in
cluding demands for the evacuation,
of Rumania, Serbia and Montenegro,
with free access to the sea for Serbia.
The chancellor was notably specific
in his treatment of the AlSGce-Lor-
raine question, declaring this territory
was originally German, that it had
been taken by force from German pos
session, and the cession of 1871 was
merely a restoration.
While Count Won Hertling found
Premier Lloyd George more concilia-
tory in his recent speech than former
ly, showing more of an inclination to
Germany's political economic and
cultural position" while he was found
charging her with being guilty of all
possible crimes"
Count Czernin, Austria's spokes-
man, in his address, dealt at some
length with the Russian question. He
declared that Austria-Hungary did not
desire a meter of territory nor a CEN
time of indemnity from Russia and
thought there we're not differences
enough in the Russian and German
viewpoint of self-determination to JUS
tify an abandonment of the negotia-
tions now in progress at Brest-Litovsk.
The Polish question, he declared, must
not delay the bringing about Of peace
by single day.