Middletown transcript., 1918-09-28
b. S. REJECTS
{. :. PEACE PROPOSAL
wilson Acts Promptly on Re-
ceipt Of Austrian Note
The TERMS ARE UNCHANGED
Secretary Lansing Gives Out Answer
Within Half An Hour After Its
Reception-stand Pat On VIII
son's Peace Terms.

sons Peace Terms.
washington.-The United States, az
was fully expected, has unconditional
" rejected Germany's peace feelers
In doing so, the government has
spoken for all the cobelligerents.
| Almost Immediately after receiving
the Austrian governments note from
the Minister from Sweden, Mr.. Eken
sren, Secretary Lansing issued this
formal statement:
II am authorized by the President
to state that the following will be the
reply Of this government to the Aus
tro:Hungarlan note proposing an I'm
Official conference of belligerents:
Mr. Lansing made this statement:
1.-THE government of the United
States feels that there is only one
reply which it-can MT Re to the sug
gestion of the Imperial Austro-Hun
sarian Government. 1t has repeatedly
and with entire candor stated the
terms upon which the United States
would consider peace and can and will
entertain no proposal for q conference
upon q matter concerning which it has
made its purpose and proposal SO
plain"
Mr.. Lansing's statement was given
out within half an hour after he hao
received the Austrian proposal. 1t
would have been forthcoming almost
Immediately upon the delivery OF the
Austrian note had it not been found
necessary in order to avoid the posi-
L:!ty OF grave error to make careful!
comparison between the official tex
ard that which was received in news
t::sp.tc.,es last night from Amsterdam
thus. emphasis was added to the
derl:l2:icil, j. any were needed, the
cc.c.-n":s cf !rn -cn'v indicating the
x..tence of no shadow of doubt In
the H:;li c. tie administration as tc
what il should be.
There is some reason to believe thar
the Secretary acted with this unpre
cedented rromptness in a matter OF
such great importance with the design
not only to indicate clearly the posi-
ton of the United States Government
~. perhaps = anticipate all percent
IS far rs POSSIBLE newspaper Gi:cus'
sens of the Austrian proposition
which might convey to the enemy d
misleading impression that there was
any considerable element in tie Unit
ed States will:n- to consider 4 neso
t:a:ed peace, such as the "nonbindins'
discussions. proposed by Austria
might develop.
While no reference to it was made
n the reply which the United States
Government IS making to Austria, il
is known that one of the most objec
ticnable features of Baron Burian's
proposition was the secrecy suggested
for the "nonbinding" conferences. II
was realized by officials here t:lst the
purpose was to barter away the rights
Of various nationalities in star-cham
Der proceedings, SO that the victims
would have no knowledge of their fate
until it was beyond recall This sys
tenn Of barter was particularly de-
nounced by President Wilson in ole
of his speeches.
That the German people themselve.
were to be kept in the dark by these
military masters and prevented from
having any voice in the peace which
was to be imposed upon them was re
garded as an assured fact. There
has been some apprehension in ad
ministration circles of combination
Of great financial interests that know
no nationality and fear the destrrc
ton of all wealth and business BY
the spread of Bolshevik ideas Nigh.
in some way be behind this move
ment to bring about a peace and ter
inmate the war before IL had beer
fought to q clear decisior> There is
no such apprehension on the part o,
the administration of a ,.ataclysn
which will bring down III civilized
institutions. and. instead. tna Genera
Stan has given every assurance thar
the war Is proceeding to a reasonably
early and complete v:cto-y which will
involve the acceptance by the Contra
Powers of the only possible terms o.
peace-namely, those laid down b.
President Wilson.
There is some speculation in of
fetal circles as to what will be til.
next step in what is recognized a.
the great German independence peac.
offensive. Generally 1t is believed
that the German and Austrian m:litar,
leaders will point to the American ~
ply as an evidence that they have do..
possible to bring abo,.
peace and thus try to straighte, tho,
people for another winter Campaign
But another view is that owing to thu
intolerable conditions in Austr,a-Hun
gary there Is more than a possibility
OF breaking up Of the quadrupH
alliance; that Austria, having gon.
through the form of making a peac.
proposal, which was promptly re-
]ected, has thus cleared the way TO,
her next step-an unconditional sur
render on the terms laid down b.