Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-09-21
PEACE NOTE IS SENT
WARNING POWERS
. =: BY AUSTRIA .......
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Australia hungary Asks for n Peace
Discussion Among Powers.
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erent governments to enter into non
binding discussions at some neutral
meeting place the Austro-lIungarian
government states that the object of
the conference would be to secure an
exchange of views which would show
whether those prerequisites exist.
which would make the speedy inau-
guration Of peace negotiations ap
pear promising"
The Austrian proposal, which is
announced in an official communica-
ton tclcgraphcd here from Vienna,
suggests 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"
The proposal calls for all the bel
ligerentS to send delegates for "a
confidential and unbinding discussion
on the basic principles for the con-
clusion of peace, in a place in Il
neutral country and at near date
that would yet have to be agreed
upon"
The proposal says the conference
would be ono Of delegates who
would be charged to make known to
one another the conception Of their
governments regarding those princi
1munications as we'll as to request and
give frank and candid explanations
on all those points which need to be
precisely defncd."
The government announces that Il
note, embodying its suggestions had
been addressed to the various bcl!ig-
crent powers and that the Holy See
had been appraised Of tho proposal in
a special note. The governments of
the neutral states also had been ac-
.Quainted with tho proposal.
The teSt OF the official communi-
cation reads:
can objective and conscientious eX
animation OF tho situation of all the
belligeront states no longer leaves
doubt that all peoples, on whatever
side they may be fighting, long for
speedy end to the bloody struggle.
Despite this natural and comprehend
sible desire for peace it has not so far
been possible to create those prclim
mary conditions calculated to bring
the peace efforts nearer to rcaliza-
ton and bridge the gap which at
present still separates the belligcr
onts from one another.
"A moro effective means must
therefore he considered, whereby the
responsible factors OF all tho coun-
tries can be offered IN opportunity
to investigate tho present possibili-
ties OF an understanding.
"'Thc first step which Austria Hun
gary, in accord with her allies, under
took. on December II, 1916, for the
bringing about Of peace did not lead
to tho end hoped for.
"Tho grounds for this lay assured
ly in tho situation at that time. In
,N.s
war spirit, which was steadily declin
ing the allied governments had by the
most severe means suppressed even
any discussion OF the peace idea. And
= so it came about that the ground for
a peace understanding was not pro-
perly prepared. The natural transi
tion from the widest war agitation
to condition of Cancellation was
lacking.
at would however, be wrong to
believe that tho peace step we then
took was entirely without result. It's
fruits consist of something which is
not to be overlooked--that tho peace
question has not since vanished from
the order Of the day. The discus
sions which have been carried on
before the tribunal OF public opinion
have disclosed proof of the not slight
differences which today still separate
the warning powers in their conccp-
ton OF peace conditions.
Nevertheless, an atmosphere has
been created which no longer ex-
cludes the discussion Of the peace
problem.
DESIRE FOR PEACE BY UNDER
STANDING GROWS.
"Without optimism, it at least as
suredly may be deduced from the
utterances OF responsible statesmen
that the desire to reach an under
standing and not to decide the war
exclusively by force Of arms, is also
gradually beginning to penetrate into
allies states, save for some cXcep-
tons in the case of blinded war agi
tators, which are certainly not to
be estimated lightly.
1.-THE Austro-l1ungarian govern
ment is aware that after the deep
reaching commissions which have
been caused in the life Of the peoples
by the devastating effects of the
world war, it will not be possible to
re-ostablish order in the tottering
world at single stroke. The path
that leads to tho restoration of peace
full relations between the peoples is
cut by hatred and embitterrhent. It
is toilsome and wearisome, yet it is
our duty to tread this patf---the path
OF negotiations-and if there are still
such responsible factors as desire to
overcome the opponent by military
means and to force the will to VIC
tory upon him, there can, neverthe
less no longer be doubt that this
aim, even assuming that it is attain.
able, would first necessitate a further
sanguinary and protracted struggle.
But even q later victorious peace
Will no longer be able to make good