Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-09-17
Says British Foreign Secre- tary in Commenting on
 Austria's Proposal.
CONFERENCE WOULD
 BE OF NO BENEFIT
No Doubt About Where Germany Stands As Re-
 gards Belgium.

London, Sept. 16.--A J. Balfour, the British foreign secretary giving his personal viewpoints on the Austrian peace not to visiting journalists, said:
 Ut is incredible that anything cam come of this proposal"
 'COming after the recent speech or Friedrich von ayer, the German im- perial vice chancellor, MT. Balfour said, "this cynical proposal of the Austrian government Is not 8 genu- inc attempt to obtain peace. It is an attempt to divide the allies"
 T cannot honestly, in the proposals now made to us as have been able to study them," MT. Balfour said, "see the slightest hope that the goal we desire--the goal of peace which shall be more than truce-can real. iy De attained"
 The foreign secretary said he was utterly unable to see that confer once proposed by Austria could have the desired end.
 MT. Balfour said no one should take upon himself the task of rejecting with light heart any propasal which would shorten the length of the war
 He also declared that no coalition ever had been so strong as the allied coalition and that the enemy would not succeed in breaking it.
 Conservations such as were propos- cd by Austria Hungary, MT. Balfour said. undoubtedly would have great value under certain circumstances. He said they would serve to smooth out obscurities,( such as questions of pride, but he declared that the ques- tions now between the belligerents were definitely defined.
 II am not taking the proposals of two years ago or of last year, but of last week." Secretary BAlfour said. "The German vice chancellor, speak ing for the German government clear ly and without obscure verbiage, showed where Germany stood on the question of Belgium, Alsace-Lorraine, the German colonies and the Brest- Litovsk and Bucharest treaties"
 The s4oreign secretary said he agreed with the Austrian note when It's authors pointed out that the whole of civilization was at stake and that the prolongatoni of hostilities was a risking of sacrificing of great deal that was really dear to everybody in- terested in the progress of mankind.
 The terms of peace and war were so tremendous, and the calamitieS inl- posed by the continuation of h0stili- ties 50 overwhelming, he said. that he would never treat with diSrespect any peace proposal.
 It could not be more clearly set forth than 1t was by von Payer last weak that Germany intended to pay no indemnity to Belgium, MT. Balfoul continued. He indicated, the foreign secretary said, that Germany did not believe in the principle of indemni. ties and yet at the same time she was squeezing millions of dollars out o1 Russia. .
 "This,' the speaker went on, "was for the wrongs Russia is supposed tc have done Germany. How can those wrongs be compared with the devas tati0n and ruin which Germany is wreaking on Russia now?"
 Regarding the question of colonies, Secretary Balfour said:
 "The colonies are one question or which there is no misunderstanding We stand on one side and Germany on tho other"
 Referring to the lack of concerted effort by the Central Powers as em phAsized by the von Payer speech ant the Austrian note the foreign secre. tary pointed to the clumsiness of Ger man diplomacy.
 The German" he added, "excels in direct, simply brutality, but when he s tries to dress in President Wilson, clothes or tries to act as President Wilson would act, he is clumsy"