The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-07-17

war aims we recognize these groups
 of aspirations which are being set forth
 to justify the continuation of bloodshed
 so that the ideals of mankind may be lrealized
 "The freedom of all nations which are to form a league of nations and which in future shall settle their diff differences by arbitration and not by farms, is to reign.
 The domination of one nation by an.
 other nation is to be excluded l Various territorial changes are to be carried out at the expense of the central powers
 These annexationist aims, though va riously shaped. are generally known.
 The intention, however, also exists, especially in regard to Austria Hungary,
 to carry out her internal disintegratfon for the purpose of the formation of new
 states. Finally, our opponents demand our atonement because we dared to de- fend ourselves and successfully against their attacks Our ability to defend our lselves is termed mlitarism, and must therefore be destroyed.
 TERRITORIAL CLAIMS OBSTACLE
 Territorial aims are, in fact, the only things now separating the different bel- iigerent groups.
 For the great interests of humanity | n, peace of the world, as set forth in the laws of modern political conception, re-
 garding winch we need not accept any advice, We also are ready to fight. 1 'There is hardly any difference be- tween the general principles enunciated
 by the statesmen of both belligerents.
 President Wilson's four new points of kJuly shall not apart from certain ex- l aggregatons, arouse our opposition. | 'On the contrary we are ahle au- prove them heartily to a great extent. i Nobody would refuse homage to this genius and nobody would refuse his CO.,
 operation. This. however, is not the main point, but it is what can also be
 understood in the interests of mankind. Both groups should certainly honestly
 attempt to clear this up and settle 1t by
 mutual agreement, but not in the same
 manner as, for instance, our peace
 treaties in the east were judged. l The fact is that all our opponents
 were invited to join in those peace ne- ] gotiations and they could have con-
 tributed their share in bringing them to ia different issue. But now, when it is
 too late, their criticism stands on weak grounds for there is no legal right
 which would have entitled them to con-
 demn the peace conditions which were
 acceptable to the contracting parties or
 which could not be avpided
 1 opponents it appears they have no fear
 of being defeated. If they, neverthe-
 less, represent the peace treaties as a
 warning of our treatment of a defeated l enemy we do not consider the reproach
 justified.
 1 None of the belligerent states need
 ever come into the position of Russia and
 Rumania as we are ever ready to enter
 into peace negotiations with all our op- ponents. 1 WRONG MUST BE ADDRESSED If our enemies continuously demand atonement for wrong done and restitu- l tion then this is a claim which we could urge with more justification against l them, because we have been attacked
 and the wrong done to us must be re- dressed.
 "The enemys obstinacy regarding his territorial demands regarding Alsace-Lor- raine, Trieste, the Trentino and the Ger
 man colonies appears to be insurmount-
 able. There lies the limit of our readi-
 ness for peace. We are prepared to dis
 cuss anything except our own territory. The enemy not only wants to cut from Austri-Hungary what he would like for himself, but the inner structure, that of the monarchy itself, too, Is to be at tackled and the monarchy dissolved if I possible, into component parts. l .Now that it is recognized that ord- nary war methods have not sufficed 70 defeat us interest in our internal af- l fairs suddenly has become supreme. The entente, however discovered its sympa- ] thy in our internal affairs so late that many an enemy statesman who now prates about the monarchys national questions as a war aim had probably no
 idea of their existence at the beginning i of the war.
 1 METHODS AMATEURISH 1 This fact can be recognized from that lamateurish and superficial manner in which our opponents discuss an attempt ] to solve these complicated z problems. l This method, however, appears to them to be useful. They, therefore, organized ! it as they have organized the blockade,
 and in England they now have a propa- ganda minister.
 We wish to place this attack on rec | ord without useless indignation or whin- ling The choice of this new means of I fighting us does not show too great 1 confidence in the success of the enemy's l previous efforts. We are certain it will l be useful Our opponents start from I completely mechanical misjudgment Of | the character of the Austro- Hungarian monarchy and prefer in their satisfaction l to overlook in the present difficult in- lternational problems the fact that these l states with their various nationalities. are no incidental structure. but prod luct of historical and ethnographcal na- I lcessity. which carry in themselves the fundamental principle of life and race. POSSESS ABILITY TO REFORM | "They, therefore, possess, and this 1 Iappies fully to Austria and Hungary, | the necessary elasticity and adaptability 1 to the changing events of the times and 1 the ability to reform themselves ac- ! cording to the necessity of their standard l of development and to solve all internal crises without uncalled-for foreign 1n- l tcrference.
 "Our enemies want to paralyze us by an offensive of irritation and to render 1 us helpless. They want to crush our very powerful organism in order to make weak parts, one after the other, service able to their own purposes
 According to their uninvlted prescrip- tions. one-half of Austria-Hungary's pop ulation may perish in order to make the other half happy. For that purpose this senseless war must be continued. CAN SETTLE OWN PROBLEMS ''As has always been the case for cen | turtles past the states and races of the monarchy will settle their internal prob lems in agreement with their ruler. The monarchy resoutely declines foreign in- reference in any form. just as it does
 not meddle with the affairs of foreign CTS.
 gramme for our enemies as to how they l.~t-