Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-10-25
COLD COMFORT
FORAUSTR|A FROM
PRESIDENT WILSON
"PeopIe Must Rule" Is Kernel of
His Reply.
FREEDOM MUST COME FIRST
Tells Austro-Hunaar;an Government II
Must Satisfy National Aspirations
of Its Own People Before
Peace Conditions Will Be
Considered.
FREEDOM MUST COME FIRST

Peace Conditions Will Be
Considered.
Washington, Oct. 21-PreSident Will
SOL has rejected the Austrian offer to
conclude an armistice and negotiate
peace. He declared that mere auton-
omy for Austrian nationalities was
not sufficient, but that they must have
liberty.
The reply was made by Secretary
Lansing through the Swedish minister
in Washington. 1t calls attention TO
the tenth condition of peace enunci-
ated by President Wilson on January
s, which says the people of Austria
Hungary should be accorded the frees:
opportunity of autonomous develop
ment.
The note calls attention to the rec
OgnitiOn by the United States of the
CzechO-SlOvaks' national council as a
| de facto belligerent government, and
states that this country also has rec
| ognized the justice OK the natiOnalis-
| tic aspirations of the Jugo-Slavs for
| freedom.
Text of United states Note.
The text of the note handed to the
| Swedish minister follows:
'Sir-I have the honor TO acknowl
edge the receipt of your note Of the
seventh instant in which you transmit
communication of the imperial and
! royal government of Austria Hungary
to the president. / am instructed by
the president to request you to be good
enough through vour government to
convey to the imperial and royal gov
ernment the following reply:
"The president deems it his duty to
say to the Austro-Hurgarian govern
ment that he cannot entertain the pres
ent suggestions of that government be-
| cause of certain events of utmost i'm
| portance which, occurring since the de-
livery of his address of the eighth Of
January last, have necessarily altered
the attitude and responsibility of the
government of the United States.
| Among the fourteen terms of peace
which the pesident formulated at that
time occurred the following:
"'X. The peoples of Austria-Hun-
gary whose place among the nations
we wish to see safeguarded and as
sured, should be accorded the freest
opportunity of autonomous develop
ment.'
"Since that sentences was written
and uttered to the congress Of the
United States, the government of the
United States has recognized that a
state of belligerency exists between
the Czecho-SIovaks and the German
and Austro-Hungarian empires and
that the Czecho- Slovak national coun-
ell is de facto belligerent govern
ment clothed with proper authority to
direct the military and political af-
fairs of the CZecho- Slovaks. 1t has al
so recognized in the fullest manner
the justice of the nationalistic aspira-
tions of the Jugo-Slavs for freedom.
Rejects Austrian Plea.
"The president IS. therefore, no long.
ar at liberty to accept the mere 'auton
omy' of these peoples as Il basis OF
peace, but is obliged TO insist that
they, and not he. shall be the judges
IF what action on the part of the Aus
tro-Hungarian government will salts
fy their aspirations and their cnncep
lion of their rights and destfny as
members of the family of nations.
accept, sir, the renewed assurance:
| IF my highest consideration.
ROBERT LANSING"
Text of Austrian Note.
In announcing his reply, Secretar.
Lansing also made public the offieia
| text of the Austro- Hungarian note. I
follows:
Legation of Sweden, Washington
d. c.. Oct I, S.-(Translation.) y
Excellency BY order Of my government
L have the honor confidentially t,
! transmit herewith to you the followIn,
communication Of the imperial an,
royal government of -Hungar.
| to the president of the United State
! IF America:
"'The Austro-I Hungarian monarchy
} | which has waged war always and sole
iy as defensive war, and repeatedl
given documentary evidence of it
readiness to stop the shedding of bloo
and to arrive at II just and honorabl
: peace, hereby addresses itself to hi
: lordship, the president of the Unite
States of America. and offers to cor
cIude with him ard his allies an arInis
tice on every front on land, at sea- an
IN the air and 10 enter immet1iatel
upon negotiations for a peace 70
, which the fourteen points in the mes
sage of President Wilson to congress
}. of January S, 1918, and the fou
o points contained Ia President Wilson
: address of February 70, 1918, shoul
serve as foh,tdation in which tn
viewpoints declared by President Wi
son in his address of September 2
Il 1918, will also be taken into account
I "Be pleased TO accept, etc.
o "W. A. F. EKEVGREN.
a "His excellencT, Mr.. Robert Ian!
r ing, secretary Of state of the Unite
States, Washingtnn."