Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-09-16
j. S. WILL SIGN A.
PEACE TREATY ONLY
ON WILSON'S TERMS
ANSTRIAS PLEA FOR ARMiSTiCe
TO DISCUSS CESSATION OF HOS
TlLlrIEs REGARDED AT WASH
iNGToN AS iNSiNCERE.

Austria, is was officially stated today.
best finds its answer in President vii
sons Baltimore speech delivered last
April
Force, force 70 the utmost, force
without stint of limit. the righteous
and triumphant force which shall
make right the Law Of the world, ana
cast every selfish dominion down in
the dust
That was the Presidents answer
then and, it was reiterated today. 1t
is his answer now.
No one doubts that ii is the answer
of all the allies.
While Austria's proposal, reported
last night from Amsterdam. had not
reached Washington in official form
tonight, it is expected hourly through
some neutral-possibly Swedea-ant
in it is recognized the long heralded
peace offensive upon which Germany
is counting to arouse enough sentl-
ment for peace among the people OF
the allied countries 10 compel an end
Of the war on terms which substan-
TALLY would preserve the Prusslan
conquest
The allied leaders recognize ii As
an effort by Germany proposes ana
which she hopes will give opportunity
probably to deal with her enemies
separately
If any reply at all is made, it will
be after an exchange Of views be-
tween the United States and the other
co-be.igerents SO that a reply for all
may be made in one On every side,
among American officials ANA allied
diplomats, ii seems agreed that the
only ground on which Germany may
have a conference is the acceptance
of the principles laid down by Presi,
dent Wilson and which have been ac-
cepted by all the allies as theirs
watchword
American officials have been noting
for some time The various steps that
have led up to the proposition for a
meeting al some neutral point Of dele.
gates from all the belligerent coun-
tries to enter into "nonbinding dis
cussions' with view to bringing
about peace.
Offer Raced IN Eurian Plea
From German and Austrian officials
of high rank, from the German En-
peror himself down to the vice chan
eellor Of Germany. within the last
fortnight have come public utter
ances, differing widely in their tone
and scope, but by singular coincd.
ence each and all containing in some
place a declaration Of willingness to
extend the hand of peace They were
coupled with deniais of responsibility
for the further continuance Of hostI.
tiles
Baron Burian, the Austrian foreign
minister advanced the movement TO-
ward the peace offensive further than
any other speaker in his recent ad-
dress to visiting German Journalists,
and the ideas he then preached are
now recognized here as the tounda-
tion upon which has been built the
proposition which Vienna now is pro,
senting TO the world at arms in a for.
NAL way.
Washington'a Mind Made Up
The Washington government oil
ready has made up its mind aad form
ed its opinion regarding Baron Blu.
rians plan, and it can be stated that
even in the pormal shape in which
It Is now presented it is quite as ob
1ectionable as II was originally and
does not present a single point upon
which the entente powers and the
United States are likely to agree with
the authors Familiar notes of in.
sincerity and underlying sinister pur
poses are heard by officials
In the opinion Of officials here. the
primary object Of Baron Burain and
the Germans who stand behind him
is to convince he Austrian and Ger.
man peoples that their governments
really desire peace a course made
necessary by the highly dangerous
and rebelious state Of mind in Ger.
many, and particularly in Austria.
This could be accomplished speed
lily and effectively, it is pointed GU,
by officials here, by an open declara.
ton of full ana unqualified accent.
ance by Berlin and Vienna of the
fourteen points laid down by presl.
dent Wilson as a proper basis Of
peace.
But this would sound the death
knell of Pan Germanism; would mean
the disagreement OF large tract Of
territory enormous indemnities and
valuable special privileges and mo.
nopolies which the predatory central
powers have wrung from Russia, not
to dwell upon the recessation of Al.
SAGE Lorraine whose wrongful SELF.
ure half century ago President WI.
son has solmen'y declared must be
righted.