The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-05-17
BAL OUR SAYS
BRITISH DOOR
OPEN TO PEACE
Secretary Asserts England Will
Listen to straightforward
Proposals.
OFFER SENT FROM Vienna
Declares Emperor Charles Made Peace
Move to Both France and England
Mo Secrets From Wilson,
Germany's Newest Terms
Learned.

London, May 17-Great Britain is
prepared to consider proposals from
the enemy, provided they are put for
ward by accredited persons in
straightforward manner, Foreign Sec
retary BalfOur declared in the house
of commons.
If any representative of any bel
ligerent country desires seriously to
lay before us any proposals." he said,
I'VE are ready to listen to them"
The British government was desir-
Gus of an honorable termination of the
war, he added, but the peace moves
of the central powers heretofore had
not been in the interests of fair and
honorable peace. Mr.. Balfour dis
cussed at length the peace pleas which
Emperor Charles of Austria wrote TO
his brother-in-law, Prince SiXtus of
Bourbon, and which were submitted to
the French and British governments
The subject was brought up by the
pacifists and advocates of peace by ne
gOtiatiOn.
"Extended AIsace Not an ISSUE"
Mr.. Balfour said the conversations
which CASTOR DOumergue, formerly
French premier and foreign minister.
had with the Russian empOrer in 1916
regarding a bigger Alsace-Lorraine
which France would demand, were not
known to Great Britain until very
much later
They had no international bearing,
he said. and didn't pledge Great Brit
ain. The British government never
gave the least encouragement to any
such notion.
German Offers Insincere"
The foreign minister also said the
pOurparlers over the Austrian emper
or's letter We're not interfered with by
the demand of France for an extension
of territory beyond her boundaries of
1870.
There was 10 evidence now or at
any tinr, he added, that German gov
ernment circles contemplated the pos
sibility of what ''we should regard as
q reasonable peace-a peace which
would secure the freedom Of the world
and freedom for those who are in dan
ger of German domination"
No Secret From Wilson.
He held no secrets from President
Wilson. Mr.. BalfOur said. Every
thought he had on the war or the
diplomacy connected with the war was
as open to President Wilson as to any
other human being.
He did not think it possible for
Great Britain and the United States
to carry on the great work in which
they were engaged or to deal with the
complicated problems of today with
out complete confidence, and so far
as he was concerned, complete conf
dence would always be given.
Germanys Newest Terms.
With the French Army in France,
May 17.-Germany's conditions of
found in German trench that was
recently recaptured by entente allied
troops. A resume Of the principal
conditions, as given in an official trans
latiOn, reads:
After the enormous sacrifice we
have made of our blood and property
we exact as necessary minimum to
the preservation and development of
Germany the following:
Belgium. especially the Flanders
coast with Antwerp, is to remain un-
der German military, economic and
political dependence.
Liberty of the seas shall be prop
erly established for all nations. the
central powers being allowed Il com
mercial fleet totaling 17,SOOOOO tons
while that of the allies should amount
to 10000 tons.
Want French Mines.
Our colonies shall be returned with
out augmentation.
'We are to have more numerous and
stronger naval stations
THE LOngwy and Brey mine fields
which furnished France it's weapons
for attack shall become German.
"Readjustments Of the frontiers
particularly in the Vosges, are to be
fixed according TO the military situa
ton and the appreciation of the com
mandant. Our frontiers must be such
that their defense is made easier.
Seek Baltic Provinces.
~ "The former German Baltic prov
inces shall be Incorporated, their ricl
soil furnishing new cereal fields fol
German peasant emigrants, thus pro
tecting the empire against the dangers