Arizona republican., 1918-04-06
CLEMENCEAU DENIES
 TRUTH IF STATEMENT
 ISSUED BY CZERN|N
rRepvbIlcsn A. p. Leased Wire1

PARIS, April 5.--In an official state ment issued by the government today, Premier Clemenceaus denial of the truth of the assertion of Foreign Min ister Czernin. that q conversation con- corning peace had been held between Austria and France. was given contlr- nation. The note follows;
 Premier Clemenceau, upon assuming the duties of president of the council, found that conversations had been en- tered into in, Switzerland, upon Aus tria's initiative between Count Rever- tata, 8 personal friend of Emperor Charles, and Commandant Armand of the second bureau, French general staff. designated for that purpose by the French minister at the time.
 "M Clemenceau did not wish to as sume the responsibility of interrupting conferences which had yielded no re- suits. but which might furnish useful sources of information. Commandant' Armand thus was allowed to continue his journey in Switzerland, upon the request of Count Revertatat. 1nstruc- tions were given NJ. Armand in the presence of his chief by M. Clemenceau as follows:
 
 Count Revertata. becoming con- vinced that his attempt to bring about a German peace was doomed to failure, in order fully to characterize his mis- sion, gave Commandant Armand a let ter written in his own hand dated Feb ruary % 1918, the first sentence of which reads:
 During the month of August. 1917, xrrfh N-iaxu tn nht a ai11ino frnr11 a French government a proposition to Austria which might lead to future peace and be of such a nature as to the susceptible of being endorsed by Aus tria and presented to the German gov ernment conferences have been entered upon
 Count Revertata. being himself the solicitor, acknowledges in the follow ing terms:
 That the purpose was to obtain from the French government proposi- tions of peace under cover of Austria, for transmission to Berlin
 Such is the fact established by an authenticated documents which Count Czernin has dared to refer to in the following terms:
 'Clemenceau. shortly before the be-
 
 front, had me asked whether was ready to enter upon negotiations and upon what abasis.'
 ''In speaking thus, not only he did not tell the truth, but told the opposite of truth which in France is termed lying
 Tt is but natural that Premier Gle menceau should be unable to restrain m Ia-t16 justly anxious as to the final conse- quenees Of the western offensive re- yersed tho rules with such audacitv representing the French government as begging for peace at the very moment when with our allies we were prenar. ing for the infliction of a supreme de- feat upon the central empires.
 Tt would be too easy to recall tc what extent Austria has importuned Rome, Washington and London will sohcitatlons for an alleged separate peacH which had no other aim than te slip upon us the yoke which she pro. fesses to find to her taste Who does not know the story of a recent meet ing Gin Switzerland, of coursel of o I iormer Austrian ambassador and 2 figure high in the councils of the on. 1 tente allles? The conferences lasted only lew minutes. Here again il was not our ally who sought the inter. view. It was the Austrian government Does not Count Czernin remember an. other attempt of the same sort made ir Paris and London only two months be. fore that Of Count Revertata by a per. son Of much higher rank? There again as In the present cases, unauthenti, put much more significant proof ex. ists.'