Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-04-18

iiceau upon Count. .Czernin, Austrian
minister, lin whose recent speech 1t
was alleged that France had been the
first to make overtures for q. separate
peace, has been made N even greater
diplomatic triumph by h recent dis
closure of the peace letter." written
by Emperor Charles of Austria to his
brother-in.law, Prince Sixtus of
Bourbon-P Parma. now in the Belgian
army.
The letter written BY the Austrian
emperor and dated March 81, 1917,
begged his French brother-in-law,
Prince Sixtus, secretly and unofficial
~ to inform President Poincare that
he was ready to support by every pos
tsible .means.the, just claims OF. France
relative to Alsace-Lorraine.
French Opinion Various.
French opinion, while in perfect
accord as to the diplomatic triumph
which Clemenceau has achieved. is
divided as to the reason for the as
made in stirring up such a hornets
nest. One school inclines to the be-
lief that Emperor Charles in his let
terfof March of last year was really
acting under the direction OF Ger
many. and that the plan was to tempt
France into separate negotiations for
peace for the sole and express pur-
iPOSN 1SIlldIly0 lIdul.
itionaT effort to SOW discord among the
allies opposed to her.
Another sectionxof opinion while
not overlooking the, Austrian love of
crooked diplomacy, prefers to explain
what has occurred as merely another
typical manifestation, of the clum-
siness which has characterized Aus
tro:German diplomacy for many
Yet a, third section Of opinion is
inclined to think that the letter when
written. was "a perfectly genuine re-
Election Of Austria's desire to save
herself at any cost from the conse-
quence Of what she believed to be the
ultimate. inevitable defeat Of the GEN.
trail empires, and that she has been
frightened out of adherence to this
of, her German ally.
Saint Brice in the, Journal thinks
THAT the bombshell which Clemenceau
has thrown into the Austro- German
camp may have important effects
perhaps even the, separation of AUS
ftrias FROM Germany. That he may
not. BE. far wrdng is indicated by the
recent resignation Of Czernin., 1t is
probable. he says. that Clemenceau
is able to throw a good deal more
light Of the events hat have occur-
red since the letter was written.
Says Clemcnceau Has Other Proofs.
The Petit Journal, the paper edited
by Stephen Pichon down to the day
he tool office in the Clemenceau Sab
met, states fatty that if the anthem
ITCHY of the letter is disputed the
ready for publication that will con
vince the most skeptical of the odious
duplicity Of the Vienna and Berlin
governments.
The Echo de Paris sees in the 'ser-
vile denials" of the Emperor Charles
proof that his letter of March of last
year was written not as the expression
of his personal views, but merely by
direction of Berlin in order to entice
the French into a trap, and that these
denials are the. result of the German
governments wish to throw dust in
the eyes of the German people, who
have not yet been let into the mys-
terry.
Altogether France Is satisfied that
Clemenceau has succeeded in throw
ing considerable disorder into the
enemy's camp. and hat the outcome
can only be to increase mutual dis
trust between Germans and Austrians.
Prince Sixtus of Bourbon-Parma,
to whom the emperor's letter was ad-
dressed, volunteered for service in the
French army at the beginning Of the
war, but was refused under the law
which prevents any member Of a for
mer French reigning. family from
fighting in the French army He and
his brother Xavier then took service
in the French Red Cross. Afterward.
thanks to the influence Of the queen
of the Belgians. they joined the Bel
gian army. and served with such dis
tinction on the User that they subse-
Iquently received the Croix de Guerre
at the hands Of President Poincare.
In thanking him Prince Sixtus said
that he was all the more ~appreciative
Of the honor since 1t was the first
France had accorded to a member OF
his family for more than a century.