The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-04-12
BRITISH COUNTER ATTACKS GAVE
THEM POSSESSION OF PARADIS
OFFERED TO BACK CLAIM
FOR ALSACE-LORRAINE
Austrian Ruler Would Also Help to Re-
Establish Belgium, According to
Official Statement Issued
in Paris

Paris, April H.. The following official
note was issued last night:
"Once caught in the cogwheels of ly-
ing, there is no means of stopping. En-
peror Charles, under Berlin's eye, is TAX
ing on himself the lying denials of Count
Czernin and thus compels the French
government to supply the proof. Here
with is the text Of an autograph letter
communicated on March 81, 1917, by
Prince Sixtus de Bourbon, the emperor
of Austria's brother in law to President
Poincare and communicated Immediately,
with the princes consent, to the French
premier;
The Letter
"My dear Sixtus: The end of the
third year of this war, which has brought
so much mourning and grief into the
world approaches. All the peoples of my
empire are more closely united than ever
in the common determination to safe
guard the integrity of the monarchy at
the cost even of the heaviest sacrifices
Thanks to their unions. with the
generous cooperation of all nationalities,
my empire and monarchy have succeeded
in resisting the gravest assaults for near
ly three years. Nobody can question the
military advantages secured by my
troops, particularly in the Balkans
France, ON her side, has shown force,
resistance and dashing courage, which |
are magnificent. We all unreservedlv |
admire the admirable bravery, which il /
traditional TO her army, and the spirit |
Of sacrifice Of the entire French people. /
Therefore, ii is special pleasure to
ne to note that, although for the mo-
nent adversaries, no real divergence of I
fiews or aspirations separates me or my
umpire from France, and that am iusti-
led in hoping that my keen sympathy
or France, joined to that which prevails
n the whole monarchy, will forever
lyoid return of the state of war, for
which no responsibility can fall on me.
With this in mind, and to show in
! definit. manner the reality Of these
ceilings, | beg you to convey privately Il
md unofiicially to President Poincare
hat I will support by every means and
y exerting all my personal influence
With my allies, Frances just claims re-
arding Alsace Lorraine.
Belgium should be entirely re-estab-i
Ished in her sovereignty, retaining en-
rely her African possessions without |
rejudice OF the compensations she !
hould receive for the losses she has un- I
ergone. Serbia should be re established
4 her sovereignty, and as a pledge of !
ur good will, we are ready to assure her :
1uitable natural access to the Adriatic 7
nd also wide economic concessions in
ustria Hungary. On her side, we will :
emand, as primoEdial and essential con- 4
itions, that Serbia cease IN the ftture.l !
d relations with and suppress every as
,ciation or group whose political object Is
inns at the disintegration of the mon | i
rehy, particularly the Serbian political !
,ciety, Nardoni 0chrana; that Serbia a
'yaliy and by every means in her power
reyent any kind of political agitation,
ther in Serbia or beyond her frontiers. | i
! the foregoing direction and give as
frances thereof under the guarantee of
lie entente powers
!" The events in Russia compel me to
serve my ideas with regard to that I
,untry until legal definite government
established there.
Having thus laid my ideas clearly
sJvre you, ] would ask you in turn.
yer consulting with these two powers.
} lay before nae the opinion of France u
nd England, with view to thus pre- \
iriHg the ground for an understanding b
! the basis of which official preliminary !
'getiations could be-taken up and reach
result satisfactory to all.
+" Hoping that thus we will soon be d
'le together to put limit TO the suf-
ring of so many millions of men and
miles now plunged in sadness and anx-
ty, | beg to assure you of my warmest :.
d most brotherly affection. Charles
The note adds: Count Czernin, having
eognized by his note of April the
istence of this negotiation due to the !;
itiative of a parsonage of a rank far -
owe his, the Austrian government is e
" summoned 10 give an explanation of =
E attempt avowed by it and of the de-
is of the conversation Of its delegates . ~