South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-09-17


ceiying the Austrian governments
note from the minister from Swe-
den, Mr. Ekengren, Sec'y Lansing
last night issued this formal state
ment:
II am authorized by the president
TO state that the following will be
the reply Of this government 10 the
Austro- Hungarian note proposing an
unofficial conference OF belliger-
ents.
The government of the Uuited
States feels that there is only one
reply which il can make 10
the suggestion of the Imperial
Austro-Hungarian government. lt
has repeatedly and with entire can
dor stated the terms upon which the
United states would consider peace
and can and will entertain no pro-
pcsal for a conference upon a matter
concerning which it has made its
position and purpose SO plain"
Answer Made In Half Hour.
Mr.. Lansing's statement was given
out within half an hour after he had
received the Austrian proposal 1t
would have been forthcoming almost
Immediately upon the delivery Of
the Austrian note had il not been
found necessary I'm order 10 avoid
the possibility Of grave error TO
make a careful comparison between
the official text and that which was
received in news dispatches last
night from Amsterdam
Thus emphasis was added TO the
declination. if any were needed, the
quickness of the reply indicating the
existence of no shadow of doubt i'm
the mind of the administrator as
TO what il should be. AS soon as
Mr.. Lansings reply can be put in
form it will be handed TO the
Swedish minister for transmission
TO Austria
Translated from French.
The Swedish legation notified the
state department early in the after
noon that ii had received the note
and that il would be presented as
soon as il could be DECIDED and
translated from the French. This
consumed several hours and il was
not until 6:20 o'clock that Mr. Elk
engren appeared. He remained with
the secretary only two minutes.
There is some reason TO believe
that the secretary acted with this
unprecedented promptness in a mat
ter of such great import with the
design not only 10 indicate clearly
the position of the United States
/ government, but perhaps to antici-
pate and prevent As far as possible,
newspa per discussions of the Aus
trian proposition, which might con-
vey 10 the enemy a misleading i'm
preston that there was any con-
siderable element in the United
States willing. 10 consider a negoti-
ated peace. such as the "non-bind-
ing" discussions proposed by Aus
| tria might develop.
Wilson'S Terms for All.
Also it is understood there was a
purpose TO sound the note which the
entente powers might repeat in
making their own answers. All
these powers had gone on record
formally as accepting the conditions
/ of peace laid down by Pres't Wilson
as their own.
While no reference TO il was made
in the reply which the United States
/ government is making 20 Austria 1t
/ is known that one OF the most OBJ
/ jectionable features Of Baron Bur
I ian's proposition was the secrecy
suggested for the mon binding
( conferences. II was realized by Of
d a
! barter away the rights OF various
nationalities in star chamber pro-
! ceedings so that the victims would
have no knowledge OF their fate
until il was beyond recall. This sys-
I tenn of barter was particularly de-
nounced by Priest Wilson in one Of
/ his speeches.
Keep People i'm Dark.
I That the German people them
selves were 70 be kept in the dark
\ by the military masters and prevent
I ed from having any voice in the
/ peace which was 20 be imposed upon
/ them was regarded as an assured
\ fact There has been some appre-
+ hension in administration circles Of
combination of great financial in
terests. that know no nationality.
and fear the destruction of all
wealth and business 10y the spread
I of bolshevik ideas. might in some
way be behind this movement 70
bring about a peace and terminate
. the war before il had been fought 20
a clear decision. There is no such
apprehension on the part OF the ad-
ministration Of a cataclysm which
Will bring down all civilized institu
/ tions and instead the general staff
] mas given every assurance that the
war is proceeding 20 a reasonably
/ early and complete victory which
will involve the acceptance by the
/ central powers of the only possible
terms OF peace-namely, those laid
I down by Pres't Wilson.
Repeat Former Terms.
These terms, referred 20 in the
reply dictated Monday 10 the Aus
trian note. were clearly SET out in
Pres't wilson's Fourth OF July
/ speech al Mount Vernon as follows:
THE destruction of every arbi-
trary power anywhere that can sep
arately. secretly ami Of its single
choice destroy the peace OF the