Middletown transcript., 1918-09-21

Wilson Acts Promptly On Re.
ceipt Of Austrian Note
oeerstary Lansino Gives Out Answer
Within Half An Hour After lts
0oeeption-etend Pat On Will
sons Peace Terms.

Rsesption-stsnd Pat On VIII
sons Psaee Terms.
Washington.-The United States, as
W1s fully expected, has unconditional
u rejected 0ermany's peace feelers.
h doing SO, the government has
spoken for all the cohelligerents.
Almost Immediately after receiving
he Austrian governments note from
The Minister from Sweden, Mr.. Eken-
gren, Secretary Lansing issued this
1oemal statement:
Il am authorised by the President
. state that. the following will be the
esply OF this government to the Aus
esoHungarian note proposing an I'M
o0cial conference Of belligerents:
NJ. Lansing made this statement:
The government of the United
States feels that there is only one
teply which 1t can make to the sug-
9estion Of the Imperial Austro-Hu
Barian Government. It has repeatedly
and with entire candor stated the
terms upon which the United States
would consider peace and can and will
entertain no proposal for a conference
upon q matter concerning which it has
made its purpose and proposal so
plain"
Mr.. Lansing's statement was given
out within hah an hour after he had
seceived the Austrian proposal. 1t
would have been forthcoming almost
Immediately upon the delivery Of the
Austrian note had it not been found
necessary in order to avoid the posi-
Aility of grave error to make careful
comparison between the official text
md that which was received in news
olspatches last night from Amsterdam.
Thus, emphasis was added to the
0eclination, If any were needed, the
Quickness of the reply indicating the
existence Of no shadow Of doubt In
the mind of the administration as to
what it should be.
There is some reason to believe that
the Secretary acted with this UMPIRE
cedented promptness in a matter Of
such great importance with the design
not only to indicate clearly the posi-
don of the United States Government,
but perhaps to anticipate and prevent
- 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
I'd States willing to consider a nego-
tiated peace, such as the "nonbinding"
discussions, proposed by Austria,
might develop.
While no reference to it was made
2n the reply which the United States
Government Is making to Austria, it
d known that one of the most objec-
tionable features of Baron Burian's
proposition was the secrecy suggested
for the ''nonbinding" conferences. It
was realized by officials here that the
purpose was to barter away the rights
Of various nationalities in star-cham-
her proceedings, so that the victims
would have no knowledge of their fate
until It was beyond recall This sys-
Tern Of barter was particularly de-
1ounced by President Wilson in one
or 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 which
was to be imposed upon them was re-
garded as an assured fact. There
has been some apprehension in ad-
ministration circles of a combination
Of great financial interests 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 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 cataclysm
which will bring down all civilized
institutions, and, instead, the General
9talf has given every assurance that
the war is proceeding to a reasonably
easly 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
1aciai circles as to what will be the
1ext 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 10 that owing to the
iatolerable conditions in Austria-Hun-
gary there is more than a possibility
q breaking up Of the Quadruple
aIllance: that Austria, having gone
through the form Of making a peace
1ropoaal, which was promptly re-
3octod. has thus cleared the way foi
her next step-an unconditional sur
tendef on the terms laid down by
president Wilson.
lepER AGAIN At LARGE.
washington Police scour City For