Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-09-16
AUs1R'A ASKS
CONFfRENCE ON
Pace BASIS
Bell rents Invited to Par.
tic| pate in Discussion
WINS HostiIities Are
Continued.
lcontinued from Page One. !

sion of the peace idea. So it came
about that the ground for peace
understanding was not properly
prepared. The natural transition
from the widest war agitation to a
condition of Cancellation was lack
ing.
AIt would, however, be wrong to
believe that the peace step we then
took was entirely without results.
Its fruits consist of something
which is not to be overlooked
that the peace question has not
since vanished from the order of
the day. The discussions which
have been carried on before the
tribunal Of public opinion have dis
closed proof of the not slight diff
ferences which today still separate
the warning powers in their con-
ception of peace conditions.
Negotiations Held Necessary.
Nevertheless an atmosphere has
been cfeated which no longer ex-
cludes the discussion of peace prob
lens.
without optimism at least as
suredly may be deduced from the
I tftteraiices 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 allied states. save for some ex-
ceptions in the case of blinded war
Agitators, which are certainly not to
be estimated lightly.
"The Austro- Hungarian govern
saent is aware that after the deep
= fsaching commissions which have
Rbecn caused in the life of the
peoples by the devastating effects of
the world war it will not be possible
4 to re-establish order in the tottering
world at a single stroke. The path
that leads TO the restoration Of
peaceful relations between the
peoples is cut by hatred and embit-
tcrmcnt 1t is toilsome and weari-
some, yet ii is Our duty to tread this
path--the path of negotiations
and if there are still such respon-
sible factors as desire to overcome
the opponent by military means and
to force the will to victory upon
him. there can, nevertheless, no
longer be doubt that this aim, even
assuming that it is attainable, would
& first necessitate further sanguinary
and protracted struggle.
Proposes Direct Discussion.
\fven later victorious peace
Pnger be able to make good
quences Of such a policy
1cnNes which will be fatal
states Ind peoples of Eu-
The only Speace which could
eously adjustlthe still divergent
a. kertions Of the opponents would
be = peace desiredAby all the peo-
Piles. With this Consciousness, and
ii its answering JhdeAvor to work
lin TIE interests OK peace, the Austro-
fur earian government now again
comes forward with a suggestion
IS II the object of bringing about
direct discussion between the enemy
powers.
sThc earnest will to peace OF wide
classes Of the population of all the
states who are jointly suffering
through the war-the iidisputable
Fapprochment in individual contro-
Y Hersial questions--as we'll as the
more conciliatory atmosphere that
i is general, seems to the Austro-
Hungarian government to give cer-
tain guarantee that fresh step in
the interests of peace, which also
takes account of past experiences in
this domain, might at the present
moment. offer the possibility of sue
kess.
"The Austro-Hungarian govern
INT has therefore resolved to
INT out to all the belligerents,
un\nd and foe, path Considered
TN ticable by it ad to propose to
IA jointly to examine in a free
fLSrynge Of views whether those
~xchsS iisites exist which would
rrefAhe speedy Inauguration OF
,6skc gotiations appear promising.
1900 "a end the Hungarian
~ fhiNnt has today invited the
,,ovSrnnaAts Of all the belligerent
SovernmeA confidential and unbind-
$500 at a neutral meeting
.,,sss Ia b s addressed to them
anote drawn p in this sense.
aThis step as been brought to
he knowledge + the Holy See in a
soeciai note. AN an appeal there
81 made Is the Pope's interest in
peace. Furthermore, the govern
i1icnfs 81 the neJ trai states have
been acquainted with the step
THE constant cloA Z accord which
exists between the fur allied pow
I srs warrants the assumption that
Mic allies Of AustroA Hungary to
whom the proposal is Being sent in
HE same manner, shark the views
developed in the note"
Note to BelligereAts.
The official telegram proceeds to
kay that the note has been drawn
up ID French and runs as follows:
THE peace offer which the pow
ers Of the quadrupie allianSe ad-
dressed to their opponents on De-
cenber IL, 1916. and the conSilia-
tory basic ideas of which they Nave
never given up, signifies, despite the
rejection which it experienced, an
important stage in the history Of
this war. In contrast to the first
two and half years, the question
IL peace has from that moment
been the center of European aye,
of world discussion, and dominates
!. II III cver-increasing measure.
Almost all the belligerent states
have in turn again and again ex-
pressed themselves on the question
If peace, its prerequisites and con-
/ ditions. The line of development
Of this discussion, however. has not
been UNIFORM and steady. The basic
S standpoint changed under the in
4uence Of the military and political
c{6&its6Ss and Hitherto AT any rate