Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-09
rLEMENCEAU AGAIN
PMLORIES CZERNTN
DILUTED Lie Is Still a Lie"
Says Reply to New
Effusion
VIENNA TALE LENGTHY
Austrian Foreign Office Sends Out
Labored Statement on Peace
Negotiations

Paris. April Q.
In reference to Count Czernln's al
legged peace revelations, statement was
insued by Premier Clemenceau's office,
which said
"A diluted lie is still lie Count
Cxernin told a lie when he said that
some time before the German offensive
began Premier Clemenceau caused nm
90 be asked, II he was ready to open
negotiations and upon what basis.
"As TO the passage in the manuscript
note OF Count Revertata. where he says
he acted for Austria to obtain from
France peace proposals. the soucitant
text Is authentic and Count Czernin has
not dared to dispute 1t.
ITO hide his confusion he tries to
maintain that the conversation was
resumed at the request of NJ Clemen-
ceau. Unfortunately for him, there Is
n fact which reduces his allegation to
nothing; namely, that Clemenceau was
apprised of the matter on November I 8,
1917 Cthat Is to say, the day after he
took over the Ministry of War). by CONF
nunication from the intermediary dated
November % and intended for his prede-
cessors For Czernin's contention to he
true. NJ Clemenceau would have had to
take the initiative In question before he
was Premier. This. Count Czernln, is
categorically contradicted by facts"
Vienna, April 9.--Replying to Paris
oficial denials that France took the
Initiative In the recent exchanges, a new
official statement says Premier Clemen-
ceau in January of this year took up
discussions with Austria respecting the
possibility of peace negotiations. The
Statement says the negotiations were
begun when Alexandra Ribol was
Premier of France, that they were
broken Off and again taken up by M.
Clenenceau.
The official Austrian statement says:
Tn contrast with the first brief dec
attop 5eb b Of PrgmeE thn +. C Forssn MIN
ister Czernin. II is observed with satis-
faction that NJ. Clemenceau's statement
OF April admits that discussions IN
regard to the question OF peace took
place between two confidential agents
OF Austria Hungary and France. The
account given by NJ. Clemenceau of the
Initiation and course of these negot-
ations and likewise the statement by
NJ. Painleve on the Same subject, how
ever, devate in many important par
facts that a detailed correction of the
French communication appears to be
necessary.
Intermediary Took First Step
'Tn July. 1917, Count Revertata was
requested by an intermediary in the
name of the French Government to state
whether he was in a position to receive
n communication from that Government
10 the Government OF Austria Hungary.
when Count Revertata. after having
obtained the sanction of the Austro-
Hungarian Government, replied in the
Affirmative to this inquiry in the same
month--July, 19l7-Major Armand was
charged with such communication by the
then French Premier. Ribot. He arrived
August Z, 1917 at Count Revertatas pri-
vate residence in Freiburg (Freiburg, in
switEerland(, the Count being distantly
major Armand then addressed to
Count Revertata a question as to
whether discussions between France and
fhe Initiative for these discussions was
taken from the Frerch side.
aCount Revertata reported to the
Austro- Hungarian Foreign Minister that
. fhis question had been put on instruc-
tions of the French Government and the
Minister thereupon requested Count Re
yertata TO enter iHto disGTssodS IN w tbn
course of these discussions 70 estahlish
whether by this means basis for bring
ing about a general peace could be
secured.
Agree on One Point, Anyhow
"on August eggs. Count Revertata
entered into discussions with Major Ar
yuand which. however, as Premier Glenn
enceau quite correctly declares, yielded
no result. The negotiations thereupon
were broken off.
.sThe Clemenceau version that the dis
cussions between ReVertata and Armand
were proceeding on his entry into office
Is Incorrect Not until January. 1918,
did Armand, this time on instructions
from Clemenceau, again get into touch
with Revertata. The thread had been
broken in August, 1917. and was there
fore. again taken. up by Clemenceau
himself in January, 1918.
.'From this fresh contact there re-
suited the discussions referred to in the
official communique of April 4, 1918. IL
is. however correct that Count Rever-
tata handed TO Major Armand on Feb
ruary 23, 1918, the memorandum re-
Rarding which Premier Clemenceau only
cites the first sentence and which cop
firms that in the discussions with Ar'
inand, which had taken place in AN
gust, 1917, Revertata was charged Win
the task of finding out whether pro-
nosais were obtainable from the French
Goveynment. which had addressed to
AUSTRIA Hungary an offer OF a basis
FOR a general peace. and also whether
fhey would be such as Austria-H Hun
gary could bring to the knowledge OF
its allies.
..It. therefore. entirely corresponded
with the facts when Count Czerhill III hIs ,L
speech April 2 last declared that Premier
Clennenceau had some time before the
be9inning Of the western offensive IN,
a,lired OF me whether | was prepared
Tor negotiations and on what basis
'aThe accusation of lying l6rough'
-r.inst Count Czernin by M. Clemen-
ceau cannot, therefore, be maintained
even in the restricted sense made by the
nresent communique of the French Gov
ernment.
Deny Separate Peace Pleas
.sNothing is known to the Austro'
T4unRarian Government or entreates
for an alleged separate peace with whici
fhe eAustro-Hungarian Government wor'
sled the Governments Of Rome WASH
!. tt,~ton and London. When NJ. Clemen'
eeeu asks the Austro-Hungarian toreigI
1,lniater whether he remembers that
4.vn months before the Revertata ar
fair-that is. about a year ago.an at
tSnpt OF like nature was made by
,ersonage of far higher rank, Count
fs1ernin does not hesitate to reply in the
sfdrmative. But FOR the sake of com,
r,iefeness and entire correctness II
shouid be added that this attempt also
led to no result. ,,,. ,
$50 much for the establishment OF
80 faeis For the rest, II need only
be remarked that Count Czernin, fol
n