The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-10-19
PRESIDENT
ANSWERS
AUSTRIA
Plea for Peace Turned Down
as It Does Not Come from
the People Them
selves.
CONDITIONS ALTERED
Reply Today 10 Refusal to do Any
Peace Business With Austro-
Hungarian Govern
ment.
CONDITIONS ALTERED
! [By Robert ]. Bender, United Press
Staff Correspondent

lBy ROBERT J. benQer, OulpeO EIeSd
STAFF Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Oct 19.-Presi.
dent Wilson today answered Austria
Hungary's plea for peace with the
reply that conditions are SO altered
since January 8, that we cannot now
accept their autonomy plan as a basis
of peace.
Instead. he insisted that the op-
pressed peoples of the dual empire
shall be the judges of what action
on the part of the Austro-Hungariau
government viii satisfy their aspira
tions."
In substance, it was a refusal to dc
any peace business with Austria.
The note as transmitted from Sec
retary of State Lansing to the Swed
ish minister said:
81 have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt Of your note of the sew.
enth instant, in which you transmit
a communication from the imperial
and royal government Of Austria
Hungary to the president.
81 am now instructed by the prest-
dent to request you to be good
enough through your government to
convey to the imperial and royal gov
ernment the following reply:
The president deems it his duty
to cay to the Austro-Hunoarian
government that he cannot enter
tain the present suggestions OF
that government because of GER
tain events Of utmost Importance
which occurring since the deliv-
cry of his address Of the eighth
of January last, have necessarily
altered tho attitude and RESPONSE
biIity Of the government Of tho
United States.
Among the fourteen terms OF
peace which the president formu-
lated at that time, occurred tho
followins:
"1o-The peoples Of Austria
Hungary whose place among tho
nations we wish to see safeguard
ed and assured, should be accord
ed the freest opportunity OF
autonomous development"
Since that sentence was writ
ten and uttered to the congress
of the United States, the govern
ment Of the United States has
recoanized that a state of belig-
erency exists between the
.Czecho-Slovaks and tho German
and Austro-Hunearian empires and
that the Czecho-Siovaks national
council is a defaeto beIligerent
government clothed with proper
authority to direct tho military
and political affairs OF tho
Czecho-Slovaks.
II has also recognized In the
fullest manner the justice of tho
nationalistic aspirations of the
Juao-SIavs for freedom.
The president Is, therefore, no
Ionaer at liberty to accept mere
"autonomy" of these peoples as
basis of peace, but is obliged to
insist that they and not he shall
be the judges of what action on
the part of the Austro-Hungarian
government will satisfy their
asplrations and their conception
of their rights and destiny as
members of the family of nations.
The text Of the Austrian note to
the president said:
"The Austro-Hungarian mon
archy which has waged war al
ways and solely as a defensive
war and repeatedly given docu-
mentary evidence of its readi-
ness to stop the shedding of
blood and arrive at just and
honorable peace, hereby address
itself to His Lordship, the Presi-
dent of the United States of
America and offers to conclude
with him and his allies an armis-
t,ce on every front on land, at
sea and In the air and to enter
Immediately upon negotiations to-
ward a peace for which the four
fNontfn.ed On mage 2l