New Britain herald., 1918-02-11


Czernin seems to see the funda-
mental element of peace with clear
eyes and does not seek to obscure
them, said the president.
Count Czernin,'' said the president,
''probably would have gone much
further had it not been for the en-
barrassment of Austria's alliances
and of her dependence on Germany"
Again the president reiterated that
the United States was "in the war and
would put forth it's whole strength
in this war Of emancipation
President Wilson spoke as follows:
"Gent1emen of the Congress:
"On the eighth of January, I had
the honor of addressing you on the
objects of the war as our people con-
ceive them. The prime minister of
Great Britain had spoken in similar
terms on the fifth of January.
ITO these addresses the German
chancellor replied on the 14th and
Count Czernin for Austria on the
same day. 1t is gratifying to have
our desire SO promptly realized that
all exchanges of view on this great
matter should be made in the hear
ing of all the world.
Count Czernin's reply, which is
directed chiefly to my own address,
is uttered in a very friendly tone.
He finds in my statement a suffl-
GENTLY encouraging approach to the
views of his own government to JuStl-
fy him in believing it furnishes q
basis for a more detailed discussion Of
purposes by the two governments. He
is represented to have intim a.ted that
the views he was expressing had been
communicated to me beforehand and
that I was aware Of them at the time
he was uttering them; but in this, L
surmise he was misunderstood. | had
received no intimation of what he in
tended to say. There was, of course,
no reason why he should communicate
privately with me. I am quite con-
tent to be one of his public audience
Count Won Hertlings reply is, I
must say, very vague and very confus
ing. It is full of equivocal phrases
and leads it is not clear, where. But
it is certainly on a very different tone
from that of Count Czernin and ap-
parently of an opposite purpose. 1t
confirms, / am sorry to say, rather
than removes, the unfortunate I'M
preston made by what we had learn
ed of the conference at Brest-Ltovsk.
His discussion and acceptance of
our general principles lead him to no
practical conclusions. He refuses to
apply them to the substantive items
which must constitute the body OF any
final settlement. He is jealous of in
ternational action and of international
council. He accepts, he says, the
principle of public diplomacy but he
appears to insist that it be confined, at
any rate in this case to generalltles and
that the several particular questions
of territorities and sovereignty, the
several questions upon whose settle
ment must depend the acceptance of
peace by the twenty three states now
engaged in the war, must be discussed
and settled, not in general council but
severally by the nations most 1mme-
diately concerned by interest or
neigh borhood.
"Ee agrees that the seas should be
free, but looks askance at any 1imi-
tation to that freedom by international
action in the interest of the common
order. He would without reserve be
glad to see economic barriers removed
between nation and nation, for that
could in no way impede the ambitions
of the military party with whom he
seems constrained to keep on terms
Neither does he raise objection to 4
limitation Of armaments. That mat
ter will be settled Of itself, he thlnhs'
by the economic conditions WlIiCA
must follow the war. But the
man colonies, he demands, NUS c,s
returned without debate. he "Ail uis
cuss with no one but the rep e@e1tlS
tiVeS OF Russia what diSPo74'l '-1'.
he n,odn nf me peoples and the lands
of no paItic provinces, with no one
80 ~, ,o,,ornment of France the