Arizona republican., 1918-09-16
Invites All Belligerent Gov
 ernments to Enter Into
 Non-Binding Contract for Interchange of Views

AMSTERDAM, Sept. 15.-(By The Associated Press)-In extending an in- vltatlon to all the belligerent govern ments to enter into non binding con- tract the Austro- Hungarian govern- ment stated that the object of the con- terence would be to secure an exchange of views which would show whether those prerequisites exist which would make the speedy inauguration of peace negotiations appear promising"
 The Austrian proposal, which is an nouneed in an official communication telegraphed here from Vienna, sug- gests that there be no interruption of the war, and that the "discussions would go only so far as considered by the participants to offer prospects of success"
 Send Delegates to Neutral Country
 The proposal calls for all the belli- gerents to send delegates for a conf dential and unbinding discussion Oh the basic principles for the conclusion Of peace, in place in a neutral coun- try and at near date that would yet have to be agreed upon"
 The proposal says the conference would be one of delegates who would be charged to make known to one an other the conception of their govern ments regarding those principles and to receive analogous communications, as well as to require and give frank and candid explanations on all those points which need to be precisely dc fined"
 The government announces that . note embodying it's suggestions had been addressed to the various belliger- ent powers and that the Holy See had been apprised of the proposal in a spe- . cial note. The governments of the reu- tral states also had been made ac- quainted with the proposal.
 Text of the Communication The text of the official communi a tion reads: "An objective and conscientious ex- animation of the situation of all tue helligerent states no longer leaves doubt that all peoples. on whatever side they may be fighting. long for a | speedy end to the bloody struggle De- spite this natural and comprehensive | desire for peace. it has not so far been possible to create those preliminary conditions calculated to bring the peace efforts nearer to realization and bridge the gap which at present sti | separates the belligerents from Che another.
 "A more effective means must there fore be considered whereby the respon- sible factors of all the countries car be offered an opportunity to investi- gate the present possibilities of an an- dertaking
 The first step which Austria Hun gary, in accord with her allies. under. took on December 12. 1916. for th, bringing about of peace did not lead tt the end hoped for.
 Ground Not Properly Prepared
 The grounds for this lay assuredl, in the situation at that time In orde to maintain in their peoples the Va spirit, which was steadily declining th allied governments had by the mos severe means suppressed even any dis cussion of the peace idea. And so i came about that the ground for peac : understanding was not properly ore pared. The natural transition from tn ; widest war agitation to a condition 0
 conciliation was lacking.
 Tt would. however, be wrong to be
 lieve that the peace step we then too
 was entirely without results. It's fruit
 consist of something which is not t
 be overlooked-thatt the peace questio has not since vanished from the ordo of the day. The discussions which hay
 been carried on before the tribunal C
 public opinion have disclosed proof C
 the not slight differences which toda
 still separate the warning powers i
 their conception of neace conditions.
 Nevertheless an atmosphere ha
 been created which no longer exclude , the discussion of the peace problem. Desire For Peace Spreading
 Without optimism it at least assur
 edly may be deduced from the utter ances of responsible statesmen that tn , desire to reach an understanding an 2 not to decide the war exclusively | l force of arms is also gradually begin } ming to penetrate into allied state Continued on Page Two)