Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-10-19

PRESIDENT REFUSES TO
DEAL DIRECT WITH AUSTRIA
Answers Peace Note Telling
OF Changed Conditions
Since Speech.


gary's plea for peace with the reply
that conditions are so altered since
January s, that we cannot now accept
their autonomy plan as basis of peace
Instead. he insisted that the oppress-
ed peoples of the dual empire shall
be the judges of what action on the
part of the Austro- Hungarian govern
ment will satisfy their aspirations.
In substance it was refusal to do
any peace business with Austria.
The note, as transmitted from Sec.
retary of State Lansing to the Swedish
minister, said:
ST have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your note of the sew
enth instant in which you transmit
communication from the. imperial and
royal government Of Austria Hungary
to the president.
| am now instructed by the presi-
dent to request you to be good enough
through your government to convey to
the imperial and royal government the
following reply:
sThe president deems it his duty
to say to the Austro Hungarian gov
crnment that he cannot entertain the
present suggestions of that government
because, Of certain events of the ut
most Importance which occurring since
the delivery of his address of the
eighth of January last, have necessar-
lily altered the attitude and responsi-
bility of the government of the Unit
ed States. y ~SF
/" Among the fourteen terms of
peace which the president formulated
at that time, occurred the following:
l0-The peoples of Austria Hun
gary whose place among the nations
~e wish to see safeguarded and assur-
ed, should be accorded the freest op-
portunity of autonomous development. :
:" Since that sentence was written
and uttered to the congress Of the Unit
ed States, the government of the Unit
cd States has recognized that state
of belligerency exists between the
Czecho-Slovaks and the German and
Austro- Hungarian empires and that the
Czecho ,Slovaks National Council is a
de faeto belligerent government, cloths
ed with proper authority to direct the
military and political affairs of the
Czeeho-Slovaks.
"t It has also recognized in the full
est manner the justice of the national
istic aspirations of the Jugo-Slavs for
freedom.
/" The president is, therefore, no
longer at liberty to accept mere 'au-
tonomy' of these peoples as basi 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-Hun-
garian government will satisfy their
aspirations 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.H Hungarian monarchy,
which has waged war always and sole
ly as defensive war and repeatedly
given documentary evidence Of its read
mess to stop the shedding of blood, and
arrive at Just ana honorable peace,
hereby addresses itself and his lord
ship, the president of the United States
of America and offers to conclude
with him and his allies an armistice
on every front on land, at sea and in
the air, and to enter Immediately upon
negotiations toward peace for which
the fourteen points in the message OF
President Wilson to congress Of Janu-
ary s, 1918, and the four points con
tained in President Wilson's address
on February u, 1918, serve as the
foundation and which with the view
points declared by President Wilson in
his address of September 2S, 1918, will
also be taken into account.