The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-09-16

the will to victory upon him, there
can nevertheless no longer be doubt
I that this aim. even assuming that ii
is attainable. would first necessitate
| a further sanguinary and prOtracted
struggle.
"But even later victorious peace
will no longer be able to make good
the consequences of such policy
all the states and peoples of Europe.
! The only peace which could right
eously adjust the still divergent con-
ceptions OF the opponents would be a
peace desired by all the peoples.
With this consciousness, and in it's
answering endeavor to work In the
interests of peace, the Austro- Hun
garian government now again comes
forward with suggestion with the
object of bringing about direct dis
cussion between the enemy powers.
THE earnest will TO peace of wide
classes Of the population of all the
states who are Jointly suffering
, through the war-the indisputable
rappr0chement in individual con-
troverslal questions-as well as the
more conciliatory atmosphere that is
general, seems to the Austro- Hun
garian government to give a certain
guarantee that a fresh step in the
interests of peace, which also takes
accounts of past experiences in this
domain might at the present moment
offer the possibility of success.
Point Out the Path.
1.-THE Austro- Hungarian govern
ment has therefore resolved to point
out to all the belligerents, friend and
foe, a path considered practicable
by it and to propose to them jointly
to examine in an exchange of views
whether those prerequisites exist
which would make the inauguration
Of peace negotiations appear promis-
ing. To this end the Austro= Hungar-
ain government has today invited
the governments of all the belliger-
ent states to a conference and I'M
binding discussion at a neutral
meeting place, and has addressed to
them 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.
Furthermore, the government Of the
neutral states have been acquainted
with the step taken.
THE constant close accord which
exists between the four allied powers
warrants the assumption that the
allies of Austria Hungary to whom
this proposal is being sent in the
same manner, share the views de-
yeloped in the note"
Note Drawn In France. ~
The official telegram proceeds to
say that the note has been drawn up
in French and runs as follows:
THE peace offer which the pow
ers OF. the quadruple alliance ad-
dressed to their opponents on De-
cember ~, 1916, and the conciliatory
basic ideas of which they have never
given up, signifies, despite the re-
lection which it experienced an i'm
portant stage in the history of this
war. In contrast to the first two and
a half war years, the question Of
peace has from that moment been
the center of European aye, and
world discussion, and dominates it in
ever-increasing measure.
Almost all the belligerent states
have in turn again and again eX-
pressed themselves on the question
Of peace, it's prerequisites and con-
ditions. The line Of development of
this discussion, however, has not
been uniform and steady
"a year ago, Secretary Balfour
expressly recognized that Austria
Hungary must itself solve it's in
ISIlldI anu IIlcL no OIlS
could impose a constitution upon
Germany from the outside. Pre-
mier Lloyd George declared at the
beginning Of the year that it was
not one Of the allies war aims to
partition Austria-Hungary, to rob
the Ottoman empire of its Turkish
provinces, or to reform Germany in
ternally. 1t may also be considered
symptomatic that in December, 1917,
Mr. Balfour categorically repudiated
the assumption that British policy
had ever engaged itself for the Gre
alton of independent states out OF
the territories on the left bank Of
the Rhine
THE central powers leave 1t in
no doubt that they are only waging
a war Of defense for the integrity
and the security Of their territories.
Wilson'S Views.
Far more outspoken than in the