Albuquerque morning journal., 1918-09-16
Austro-Hungarian Government
Insists That All BeIIigerents
Meet in a Neutral Place to
Discuss Terms.
SUGGESTION SPURNED
BY U. S. OFFICIALS
Germany'S Ally Is on the Brink
Of CoIIapsei "Hit Her an Ex-
ira BIow-Don't Stop to,
Talk" Opinion Here.

- HoFNNa JOURNAL gpuors. LaAsHp wa.w,
Amsterdam, Sept. 1.-THE Austro-
~ hungarian government insists that All
pelilgerent governments meet I'm a
neutral place at a time TO be deter.
| mined TO secure an expression Of
views which would show whether
nose prerequisites exist which would
ulake speedy inauguration of peace
negotiations appear promfsing2n Thas
proposal calls for all belliperenta tol.
send delegates to q confidential and
| unbinding discussion of the basic
principles for the conclusion of peace.'
The suggestion is also accompa nied
by one that there be no cessation Of
ostlilties while the negotiations are
in progress
Inc Austrian proposal, which Is
announced in an official communica-
uon teleGraphed here from Vienna
suggests that there be no interruptionse
| or the war, and that the "discussiors
would so only so far as considered
by the participants to offer prospects
of success.
The proposal calls for all the ba..
liEerents TO send delegates for a
confidential and iinblndIng Discus
sion on the basic principles for the
conclusion of peace, In a place In a
that would vet have to be agreed
upon"
Conference 10 Exchange Views.
The proposal says the conference
would be one of delegates who
would be charged TO make known to
one another the conception of their
governments regarding those prin-
ciples ana to receive analogous COM
munications. as well as to request and
give frank and candid explanations
on all those points which need TO ba
precisely defined"
The government announces that n
note embodying It's suggestions had
been addressed to the various belIig-
erent powers and that the Holy SEQ
had been apprised of the proposal In q
special note. The governments of
the neutral states also had been
made acquainted with the proposal.
The text of the official communi-
cation reads:
AN objective and conscientious ex-
animation of the situation of all the
belligerent states no longer leaves
doubt that all peoples, on whatever
side they may be fighting, long for
speedy end to the bloody struggle.
Despite this natural and comprehen-
sive desire for peace, 1t has not so far
been possible to create those prelimi-
nary conditions calculated to bring the
peace efforts nearer to realization
and bridge the gap which at present
still separates the beligerents from
| one another.
"A more effective means must
therefore be considered whereby the
responsible factors of all the coun-
tries can be offered an opportunity
| to investigate the present possibilities
| of an understanding.
First Step Failure.
1.-THE first step which Austro- Hum
| gary, in accord with her allies. under.
| took on December 12, 1916, for the
bringing about of peace did not lead
to the end hoped for.
''Fhe grounds for this lay assuredly
| in the situation. at that time. In order
| to maintain in their peoples the war
| spirit, which was steadily declining,
| the allied governments had by tho
/ most severe means even any discussion
! of the peace idea. And so 1t camN
about that the ground for peace un-
| derstanding was not properly pre-
| pared, The natural transition from
| the widest war agitation to a condi-
| ton of conciliation was lacking.
ut would, however. be wrong to
believe that the peace step we then
/ tNNh "t7 ShtiAViN WANHpht IuSuitos Ah6
fruits consist OF something which Is
! not to be overlooked---that the peace
| question has not since vanished from
| the order of the day. The discussions
which have been carried on before
the tribunal Of public opinion havA
| disclosed proof of the not slightest diff
ferences which today still separate
| the warning powers in their concep-
| ton of peace conditions.
| Nevertheless an atmosphere has
| been created which no longer excludes
the discussion of the peace problem.
Without optimism 1t is at least as.
sured they may be deduced from tha
utterances of responsible statesmen
that the desire to reach an UNDER
standing and not to decide the war
exclusively by force of arms Is also
gradually beginning to penetrate into
Iallied states. save for some exceptions
in the case of blinded war agitators.
(which are certainly not to be estf
mated lightly.
Cant Bring Order at Once.
''The Austro-H Hungarian govern
ment is aware that after the deep-
reaching commissions which have
been caused In the life of the peoples.
by the devastating effects OF the
world war 1t will not be possible to
) re-estabhsh order IN the totteriug
world at a single stroke. The path