Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-09-17
IN BRIEF MESSAGE D.
PEACE. PROFFER is.
FLATLY Rejected.
s---s-~sa
Reply Made Within Half an
Hour After Tender 1s
Officially Received.
- =: ,S.- ~
AMERICAN ATTITU1E es s.
ALREADY MADE PLAIN
War Will Go On Until Autocraey
Is Beaten and World
Made Safe.
SPEAKS FOR FREE PEOPLES
American Executives Response That
AMERICAN ATTITu1E ss S:
ALREADY MADE PLAIN
SPEAKS FOR FREE PEOPLES
American Executives Response That
OF World Democracy to Tot q -
tering Tyranny.

w SepteiuOcT lo.-t.E6Ss
ident Wilson tonight fatty rejected
the Austro Hungarian governments
proposal for peace parley. -.
His reply is. perhaps, without prece-
dent In history. It was made public
within half an hour after the Swedish
minister delivered the official text OF
the note TO the State Department..
The Presidents answer was issued In
the form of statement from Secretary.
of state Lansing. and reads as follows:
81 am authorized by the President to
state that the following will be THO
reply OF this government to the Aus
tro- hungarian note proposing an un-
official conference of belligerents:
The government OF tho United
states feels that there is only ono
reply it can. make to the suggestion
81 the imperial Austro-H -Hungarian gov
ernment. 1t 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 mat
ter concerning which 1t has made It's
position and purpose SO plain.
The President. u Is assumed. again
spoke for the llied world. and, In
SO doing: wrote "hnis" to the Austrian
plainest language. consisted of exactly
sixty-eight words. as compared with "
the several thousand words that made
up the long and ambiguous statement
from Austria.
ILL BE FORWARDED X
At ONCE TO AUSTRIA
Tomorrow the mcssa ge, save for Dip
lomatic embellishments. will be given
over TO the Swedish minister In exact
ly the same terms as 1t appears,to-
night for transmission to Austria. ~
Gnr9hei9gsay 5ne he
try's war history, and there is a. rca-
son for this. 1t is that the United states,
in common with its allies. saw through
no Nf "a ne p IN n n N
the thin veneer that hardly hid Ger
many's hand i'm thei proposal. aud. there
fore, wished to dispose OF 1t as rapidly
as possible. -tf$
1t was $50 o'clock when the Swedish
minister. w. a. r. Ekengren. arrived
at the state Department with tho note:
Two minutes later he left he Office
of Secretary of State Lansing. and thirty
three minutes later Mr.. Lansing gave
an audience to newspaper correspoh9
dents and made public tho Presidents
reply. o!s.srs,
Throughout the tabloid drama was
enacted In much, the same manner as
who sent telegram to the White
House. to-day. His message was ad-
dressed to the President. and said; !;
Sincerely hope Your answer to Aus
tr'a's peace proposal will he that we
Americnns do not talk during work-
ing hours" SSNS
President Wilson's reply is sunieieht
evidence Of the fact that he considers
hat the present are working hours"
His answer. in the belief OF high OF
hcials here. will bring the AmeIieln
nation right about face to the busine:;s
IN hand-the business OF Winnings the
war. There was no fear that this buSfS
ness would be forgotten. but the Aus-
trian. note. 1t is intimated. was spon-
sored primarily for the disturbing ct
tect II would have on the allied mind
The The. fresldent. - however. does not oven
give II the opportunity. ,-,ts ~
PROGRAM ALREADY CLEAR
bULWARk AGAINST sNlPING
Future peace proposals from this CEN.
tral powers must come around to tho
definitely. points out in his siXtyssigRt
words. He has given his peacenpro-
gram to the world. and it stands as
nroposais nn,wiTk wheb aGains NAL al, smiling peace
either Germany or Austria. 1t WAC
or on the E9urth OF July at Mount ver-
that the President spoke of peace'and
said: ot'
There can be but one issue. The
settlement must be final: There can 30
cision is conceivable These arsI the
ends for which the associated peoplesj
OF must the bs world n,sass are hght!ns and WHICH
peace
Il. Tho destruction of every arbi-
trary power anywhere that can sepa-
dsn datsly; secretly S and Of It's single choice
/.
it cannot be presently destroyed. az
least its reduction to virtual impoterce.
o. The settlement OF every uuestjon.
whether of territory. of sovereignty. 81
economic arrangement or Of politicai
relationship upon the basis of the }rHs
acceptance of that settlement byithn
people Immediately concerned, and dSrot
upon the basis of the material Interest
or advantage of any other nation or
people which may desire a difrsr,nt
settlement for the sake OF It's own ;ers
terror influence or mastery. .TA-s-gA
SAME LAW FOR NATIONS
APPLICABLE TO INDlVInuAIS
'3. The consent OF all nations.totke
governed in their conduct toward each
other by the same principles OF honor
and respect for the common !awiiof
civilized society that govern tho .indi.
vidual citizens OF all modern states IN
their relations with one anotheryoto
the end that all promises and cows
nants may be sacredly observed ssr1o
private plots or. conspiracieS hztchsd.
no seif-injuries wrought with ippun-
tty and mutual trust esta btished tit5un
the handsome foundation OF q Ynntuaf
respect for right. Z 1''-F - 'ss-'--'
-. The establishment. of an oYssni.
zation OF peace which shall naEeSit
certain that the combined never Ioe I.
free nations will check; every invasion