Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-10-20
AUSTRIA MUST
Give FREEDOM,
WILSON ANSWER
Reply to Peace Plea Calls At.
tention to Recognition
Of CzechS and Jugo-
SIavs.

III washington, oct. l9.-PreSlden,
Wilson has answered the peace note
of Austria Hungary with a declara,
ton that the Austro-Hungarian gov,
eminent must satisfy the national
aspirations of its own people and
that they, the people, shall be the
judges of their rights and destinies.
The text of the note handed to the
Swedish minister follows:
" "Sir: | have the honor to ac-
knowledge the receipt of your note
of the seventh instant, in which you
transmit communication of the i'm
perial and royal government of Aus
tria-Hungary to the president l
am now instructed by the president
to request you to be good enough
through your government to convey
to the imperial and royal govern
ment the following reply:
"The president deems it his duty
to say to the Austro- Hungarian gov
eminent that he cannot entertain the
present suggestions OF that govern
ment because of certain events of
utmost Importance which, occurring
since the delivery of his address of
the eighth of January last have nee
essarily altered the attitude and re-
sponsibility of the government of
the United States. Among the IA
termslof peace which the president
formulated at this time occurred the
following:
"'The peoples of Austria Hun
gary, whose place among the ma
tons we wish to see safeguarded
and assured, should be accorded
the freest opportunity of auton-
omous Development
Condition Changes.
Since the sentence was written
and uttered to the congress of the
United States, the government OF
tn United States has recognized
that state of belligerency exists
between the Czecho-Slovaks and
the German and the Austro-H Hun
garian empires and that the Czecho-
Slovak national council is de fac
to. belligerent government clothed
with proper authority to direct the
military and political affairs of the
Czecho-Slovaks. 1t has also
recognized in the fullest manner the
justice of the nationalistic aspira-
tons of the Jugo-Slavs for freedom.
THE president is, therefore. no
longer at liberty to accept the mere
autonomy Of these peoples as
basis of peace, but is obliged to in
sist that they, and not he, shall be
the judges of what action on the
part of the Austro- Hungarian gov
eminent will satisfy their aspira-
tons and their conception of their
rights and destiny as members of |
the family of nations"
accept, sir, the renewed assur-
ances of my highest consideration.
ROBERT LANSING"
Approved by Senators.
The note rejecting the Austrian
peace offer was read to members of
the senate military committee today
as they left their weekly conference
at the War department. Senator
Hitchcock, chairman of the foreign
relations committee, one of the
group, said
"That is good stuff and others
nodded their agreement. i
Later Senator Hitchcock made
this statement:
st seems to me to fill the bill
exactly. 1t lives up to the letter
and spirit OF our relations with these
subject nationalities of Austria,
whom we have encouraged to seek
II
The reply at this time may be ex-
planned by the publication yester-
lay of a proclamation by Emperor
Charles federalizing the states of
Austria in an obvious effort to
quiet the situation at home and at
he same time meet the conditions
IF peace laid down by the president
The president before has spoken of
he justice of the claims of subject
latit nalities for self-determina-
ion; now he makes their real free
lom, condition precedent to peace
or Austro-Hungary. :
The Czecho-Slovaks, having won
recognition as belligerents, yester-