Arizona republican., 1918-05-17
PEACE
 PROPOSALS ARE
 TO JET HEARING
British Secretary Balfour Says Allies Will Not Re fuse to Listen to Words
 from the Common Enemy
Republican A. p. Leased wlre1


 LONDON, May 16.-The British secretary for foreign affairs, Arthur J. Balfour, in giving explanations in the house of commons today in con- nection with Emperor Charles letter to Prince SiXtus of Bourbon, recently made public by the president of the French republic, declared that no eff fort at conversations has ever been made by the central powers in the interest of a fair and honorable peace and he added:
 If any representative of any bellig- erent country desires seriously to lay before us any proposals, we are ready to listen to them.'
 The letter in question had been eX- amined by a committee of the French chamber. said Mir. Balfour, and the conclusion was that it did not pro- vide an adequate or, satisfactory basis for an honorable peace.
 Bafour Replies to Question MT. Balfour in his explanation was replying to questions submitted by the Right Hon. Walter Runciman, | former president of the board of trade, who asked whether, when Elm peror Charles letter was communi- cated to the French government and | by the French government to the British prime minister. it was com municated to any other of the allies, 1 had the American government any | information as to what was passing? Did the prime minister inform the 1 foreign office at the time of the fact 1 that the communication had been shown to him? Why were the nego- | tiations dropped-was it on purely territorial grounds: was it because q demand was made by France. not only for Alsace- Lorraine but for the 1914 line, or even the 1790 line?
 Not Communicated to President Mir. Balfour explained that he had no secrets from President Wilson. He was in America at the time and had not gone very thoroughly into the matter. The letter, however. had been conveyed by Prince SiXtus to Presi- dent Poincare and the French premier under the seal of the strictest secrecy. Only the British sovereign and pre- mier were to see it. Therefore, it was not communicated to the presi- dent of the United States and the American government was no better informed of the facts regarding the i letter than he was himself.
 Tn lnlefndtlonal alltlrS. MT. odI- four said, Tit is not a good thing to necessarily discourage informal at tempts at conversations. But we have never at any time initiated conversations of that sort. We have never turned down conversations when other people wished them. If any representative of any belligerent country desires seriously to lay before us any proposals We are ready to listen to them. Of course, we are not going to deal with them without the cogniZance of our allies. The mere facts that such conversations are of an informal character makes that very improper subject for dis cussion in the house. That is true as a general proposition and emphat- ically and especially true of the sub- iect now under discussion.
 Letter Conveyed Under Secrecy
 The letter to which public atten- l ton is directed was a private letter written by Emperor Charles to rela- tive (Prince SiXtus of Bourbon) anc conveyed by him to President Poin- care and the French premier under
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