Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-09-16

all the belligerents, friend and zoe,
path considered practicable by 1t and
to propose TO them Jointly to examine
in free exchange of views whether
those prerequisites exist which would
make tho speedy Inauguration of peace
negotiations appear promising.
ITO this end the Austro- Hungarian
government has today invited the gov
ernments of all the belligerent states
to a confidential and unbinding dis
cussion ut a neutral meeting place, and
has addressed to them a note drawn
up in this sense.
This step has been brought to the
knowledge Of the Holy See in a special
note, and an appeal thereby made to
the Pope's interest in peace. Further
more, the governments of the neutral
states have been acquainted with the
step taken.
The constant close accord which
exists between the four allied powers
warrant the assumption that the allies
of Austria Hungary, to whom the pro-
posal is being sent in the same manner,
share the views developed in the note.
Text Of Note Asking ParIeys.
The Official telegram proceeds to say
that tho note has been drawn up in
French and runs as follows:
The peace offer which the powers
of the quadruple alliance addressed 10
their opponents on Dec. IL, 1915. and
the conciliatOry basic ideas of which
they have never given up signifies, de-
spite the rejection which ii expert
enced, an important stage in the hist
DRY Of this war.
In contrast to the first two and
half war years, the question OF peace
has from that moment been the CEN
ter of European. aye, of world dis
cussion, and dominates it in ever-in-
creasing measure.
Almost all of the belligerent states
have in turn again and again ex-
pressed themselves on the question OF
peace, It prerequisites and conditions.
The line Of development OF this dis
cussiOn, however, has not been uni
form and steady: The basic stand
point changed under the influence Of
the military and political position, and
hitherto. at any rate it has not led
to a tangible general result that could
be utilized.
1T is true that. independent of all
these oscillations. II can be stated
that the distance between the concep-
tons of the two sides has, on the
whole. grown somewhat less; that de-
spite the indisputable continuance Of
decided and hitherto unbridged diff
many ksdyworeoofr, bofotndrirobof? JAG
ferences. a partial turning from many
of the most extreme concrete war aims
is visible and a certain agreement
upon the relative general basic prin-
ciples Of a world peace manifests it
self
I'm both camps there is undoubtedly
observable in wide classes of the popu-
and understanding.
However, a comparison Of the re-
ception of the peace proposal Of the
powers of the quadrupie alliance on
the part of their opponents with the
later utterances OF responsible states
men Of the latter, as well as of the
nonresponsible, but tn political re-
spect, nowise uninfiuential PERSONAL
ties, confirms this impression.
Cite Statesn,en's Utterances.
while, for example the reply of the
allies to President Wilson made de-
mands which amounted to the dismem
| berment Of Austria Hun gary. to a
| diminution and a deep internal trans
| formation of the German empire. and
the destruction of Turkish Europeor
ownership. these demands. the realiza-
| ton of which was based on the supposi-
| ton of an overwhelming victory, were
later modified in many declarations
from official entente quarters, or in part
were dropped.
Thus in declartion made in the
British house of commons year ago
Secretary Balfour expressly recognized
| that Austria Hungary must itself solve
its internal problems. and that no one
could impose constitution upon Ger
many from the outside.
TT may also be considered symp
tomato that in December. 1917, Mr.
Balfour categorically repudiated the as