The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1918-09-27
Wilson Acts Promptly on Re.
Ceipt of Austrian Note
THE TERMS ARE UNCHANGED
Secretary Lansing Gives Out Answe:
Within Half An Hour After Its
i7eceptIon-Stand Pat On Will
sons Peace Terms.


ly rejected Germany's peace feelers
In doing so, the government has
spoken for all the cobelligerents.
Almost Immediately after receiving
the Austrian governments note from
the Minister from Sweden, Mr.. Eken
gren, Secretary Lansing issued this
formal statement:
81 am authorized by the President
to state that the following will be the
reply of this government to the Aus
troHungarian note proposing an un
official conference of belligerents:
Mr. Lansing made this statement:
1.-THE government of the United
States feels that there is only one
reply which it can make to the sug
gestion of the Imperial Austro-Hun
garian Government. 1t has repeated.
and with entire candor stated the
terms upon which the United States
would consider peace and can and will
entertain no proposal for conference
upon matter concerning which it has
made its purpose and proposal sc
plain"
Mr.. Lansing's statement was given
out within half an hour after he hac
received the Austrian proposal. II
would have been forthcoming almost
Immediately upon the delivery of the
Austrian note had it not been fount
necessary in order to avoid the posi-
bility OF grave error to make 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
qu:ckn Sss Of the reply indicating the
,xistence of no shadow of doubt IL
the mind of the administration as tc
what it should be.
There is some reason to believe tina,
the Secretary acted with this unpre
cedented promptness in matter oil
such great importance with the design
not only to indicate clearly the posi-
ton of the United States Government
but perhaps to anticipate and prevent
as far as possible newspaper discus
sions of the Austrian proposition,
which might convey to the enemy
misleading impression that there was
any considerable element in the Unit
ed States willing to consider nego
tiated peace, such as the "nonbinding'
discussions, proposed by Austria,
might develop.
While no reference to it was made
in the reply which the United States
Government is making to Austria, il
is known that one of the most objec
tionable features of Baron Burian's
proposition was the secrecy suggested
for the 'nonbinding" conferences. II
was realized by officials here that the
purpose was to barter away the rights
of various nationalities in star-cham
Der proceedings, so that the victims
would have no knowledge of their fate
until it was beyond recall. This sys
TEN of barter was particularly de
nounced by President Wilson in one
Of his speeches.
That the German people themselves
were to be kept in the dark by these
military masters and prevented from
having any voice in the peace whic..
was to be imposed upon them was re
garded as an assured fact. There
has been some apprehension in ad
ministration circles of combination
IF oraot 6popoiol iptaraetc that know
no nationality and fear the destruc
ton of all wealth and business by
the spread of Bolshevik ideas might
in some way be behind this move
ment to bring about a peace and ter
inmate the war before 1t had been
fought to a clear decision. There is
no such apprehension on the part OF
the administration of a catac1ysm
which will bring down all civilized
institutions, and, instead, the General
Staff has given every assurance that
the war is proceeding to reasonably
early and complete victory which will
involve the acceptance by the Central
Powers of the only possible terms OF
peace-namely, those laid down by
President Wilson.
There is some speculation in of
fetal circles as to what will be the
next step in what is recognized as
the great German independence peace
offensive. Generally it is believed
that the German and Austrian military
leaders will point to the American re-
ply as an evidence that they have done
everything possible to bring about
peace and thus try TO straighten their
people for another winter campaign
But another view is that owing to the
intolerable conditions in Austria-Hun.
gary there is more than 81 possibility
of a breaking up of the quadruple
alliance; that Austria, having gone
through the form of making a peace
proposal, which was promptly re
jected, has thus cleared the way foi
her next step-an unconditional sur