Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-09-16
TEXT OF AUsTRIAs PLEA FOR A DISCUSSION OF PEACE

ance on the part Of their oppo-
: nents with the later utterances Of
responsible statesmen of the latter,
as well as of the nonresponsible
but in a political respect no wise
uninfiuential personalities, confirm
this impression.
Says Allies Modify Demands.
While, for example, the reply
of the allies to President Wilson
made demands which amounted to
the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of Austria
Hungary. to a diminution and a
deep internal transformation of the
German empire, and the destruc
ton Of Turkish European owner
| shIp-these demands, The realiza-
/ ton of which was based on the
supposition Of an overwhelming
victory, were later modified in
many declarations from official en-
/ tente quarters, or IN part were
dropped.
Thus, in a declaration made in
the British house of commons a
year ago, Secretary Balsour eX-
pressly recognized that Austria
Hungary must itself solve its in
| ternal problems, and that no one
could impose a constitution upon
Germany from the outside.
Premier Lloyd George declared
at the beginning of this year that
it was not one of the allies war
/ aims 10 partition Austria hungary,
to rob the Ottoman empire of its
Turkish provinces, or 10 reform
| Germany internally.
Claims War of Defense.
| ut may also be considered symp-
tomato that in December, 1917, Mr..
Balfour categoricaIly repudiated
the assumption that British policy
had ever engaged itself for the Gre
alton of an independent states out
of the territories on the left bank
of the Rhine.
THE central powers leave ii in
no doubt that they are only waging
d war Of defense for the integrity
and the security of their territories.
Far more outspoken than in the
domain of concrete war aims has
the Impeachment of conception
proceeded regarding those guiding
! lines upon the basis of which peace
shall be concluded and the future
order of Europe and the world
built up. In this direction Presi-
dent Wilson in his speeches Of Feb.
l. and July of this year has
formulated contradictions on the
part of his allies and the far reach
ing application of which is likely
to meet with no objection on tn
part of the powers of the quad
ripple alliance also, presupposing
that this application is general and
reConcilable with the vital inter
ests of the states concerned.
Must Settle Concrete Questions.
1T is true ii must be Temem-
bered that an agreement on gen
eral principles is insufficient, but
that there remains the further mat
ter of reaching an accord upon
their Interpretation and their ap-
. plication to individual concrete war
and peace questions.
ITO an unprecedented observer
there can be no doubt that in all
the belligerent states. without eX
, ception, the desire for a peace Of
/ understanding las been enormous
! ~ strengthened that the couvic
/ ton is increasingly spreading that
I the further continuance of tho
/ bloody struggle must transform
/ Europe into ruins and into a state
OF exhaustion that Will mar its de-
4 Eelopment for decades to come
/ and this without any guarantee Of
/ thereby bringing about that decis-
| ion by arms which has been vain
| " striven after by both sides in
/ four years filled with enormous
sacrifices, sufferings aud exec
( lions.
In what manner. however. can
the way be paved for an under
standing and an understanding fin
ally attained? Is there any serious
| pro pect whatever of reaching this
/ aim by continuing the discussion
/ of the peace problem in the way
hitherto followed?
Series OF MOnOlOgues.
We have not the courage to an
swer the latter question in the ar
/ frmative. The discussion from one
I public tribune 10 another, as has
hitherto taken place between
statesmen OF the various countries,
was really only a series OF mono
loGues. 1t lacked, above every
thing. directness. Speech and
counter speech did not fit into each
other. The speakers spoke over
one another's head
"On the other hand was the pub
LEFTY and the ground OF these dis
cussions, which robbed them OF the
possibility OF fruitful progress. In
all public statements of this ma
ture a form OF eloquence Ia used
which reckons with the effect al
great distances and on the masses.
Consciously or unconsciously.