The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-12
Alsace-LOrraine Should Go to
French, He Writes.
RESTORE BELGIUM AND SERBIA
Complete Sovereignty of Both
Countries Needed.
Austrian Emperor Denies Truth
of French Premier.

plete sovereignty OF anu Ser
bia should be restored.
This declaration was made on March
81, 1917. in letter from the emperor
to his brother-in-law. Prince Sixtus
de Bourbon, who communicated It to
President Poincare, by whom it was
referred to the French premier.
Emperor Denies 1t.
Vienna. April 12.-Complete solidi-
tary exists between Austria and Ger
many and I'VE shall Jointly enforce
an honorable peace" says Emperor
Charles in telegram to Emperor
William. denying the truth of the
declaration made early in the week
by Premier Clemenceau of France
that the Austrian emperor recognized
Frances claim to Alsace-Lorraine. 1t
is added that the fact that Austro
Hungarian troops are fighting for AL
sace-Lorraine on the western front
demonstrates the emperor's faithful
ness to his ally.
The message to Emperor William
reads:
THE French premier, driven into d
corner is endeavoring to escape from
the net in which he has entangled
himself by piling up more and more
untruths and he does not hesitate to
make the completely false statement
that I recognized that France had
just claim to the reacquisition of AL
sace-Lorraine.
II disavow this assertion with in
dignation. At the moment when
Austro-Hungarian cannon are thun-
dering Jointly with German cannon on
the western front, it hardly needs
proof that 1 am fighting for the prov
inces and 1 am ready to continue
fighting exactly as if it were a queS-
ton of defending my own land.
"Altho in face of this eloquent proof
and the full community of aims for
which for almost four years we have
been waging war. / consider it super
fluous to waste even a word on Pre-
mier Clemenceau's assertion. l desire
nevertheless to take this opportunity
of again assuring you of the complete
solidarity which exists between you
and me and your empire and mine
NO intrigueS. no attempts. from
whomSoever they may proceed, will
imperil our loyal comradeship of arms,
and we shall Jointly enforce an hon
orable peace"
The note on the subject has been
issued here and reads:
q Paris, April 1.-THE following note
has been issued:
"Once caught in the cog wheels of
lying, there is no means of stopping.
Emperor Charles. under Berlin's eye,
is taking on himself the lying denials
of Count Czernin and thus compels
the French government to supply the
proof. Herewith is the text of an
autograph letter, communicated on
March 81 1917. by Prince Sixtus de
Bourbon. the emperor of Austria's
brother-in-law. to President Poin-
care and communicated Immediately,
| with the princes consent, to the
French premier:
My Dear Sixtus: The end of the
third year of this war, which has
| brought SO much mourning and grief
| into the world, approaches. All the
peoples of my empire are more close
| ly united than ever in the common de-
! termination to safeguard the integrity
| of the monarchy at the cost even of
the heaviest sacrifices.
He Praises France
! :" Thanks to their union with the
generous cooperation of all nation
alities. my empire and monarchy have
succeeded in resisting the gravest as
i sa ults for nearly three years. Nobody
| can question the military advantages
! secured by my-troops, particularly in
the Balkans.
France on her side has shown
| force, resistance and daShing courage
which are magnificent. We all unre-
| servedly admire the admira BILE bravery
| which is traditional to her army and
! the spirit of sacrifice of the entire
French people. Therefore, it is a spe-
! cial pleasure to me to note that. altho
| for the moment adversaries, no real
| divergence of views or aspiration sep
! arates many of my own empire from
! France and that / am justified in hop
/ ing that my keen sympat thy for
/ France. Joined to that which prevails
| in the whole monarchy, will forever
avoid a return of the state of war for
which no responsibility can fall on me.
! just Claims of France
a. With this in mind, and to show
in a definite manner the reality of
these feelings. l beg you to convey
privately and unofficially, to President
means. and by exerting all my per-
sonal influence with my allies Frances
just claims regarding Alsace-Lorraine.
t Belgium should be entirely re-es-
tablished in her sovereignty. retaining
entirely her African possessions. with
out prejudice to the compensations she
should receive for the losses she has
undergone. Serbia should be re-es-
tablished in her sovereignty, and as a
pledge of our good will. we are ready
to assure her equitable national ac-
cess to the Adriatic, and also wide
economic concessions in Austria
Il Hungary
On her side, we will demand as
prim ordial and essential conditions
that Serbia cease in the future all re-
lations with. and suppress every asso-
citation or group whose political object
aims at the disintegration of the mon
archy, particularly the Serbian politi-
cal society, Narodni Ochrana: that
Serbia, Loyalty. and by every r'eans in
her power, prevent any kind of poll
teal agitation, either in Serbia or be-
yond her frontiers, in the foregoing
direction, and gives assurances there
of. under the guarantee of the entente
powers.
Ground for Understanding.
1.-The events in Russia compel me
to reserve my ideas with regard to thai
country until legal, definite govern.
ment is esta blished there.
Il Having thus laid my ideas clearly
before you. / would ask you. in .urn
after consulting with these two pow.
ers. to lay before me the opinion
| first of France and England. with q
| view to thus preparing the ground fol