Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-10-22
MERE AUTONOMY IS
not ACCEPTABLE To
PRESIDENT WILSON
Recognition of Czecho-SIovaks
Alters ConditionS-German
Reply Reported Delayed
May Continue U-BoatS

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19.-President
Wilson has rejected the Austro-Hun-
garian governments offer to conclude
an armistice and negotiate peace on
principles enunCiated by him, and has
given notice that mere autonomy for
Austria's subject Municipalities is no
longer acceptable; thta they must have
liberty.
President Wilson has answered the
peace note of Austria-Hungary with a
declaration that the AuStro-Hungarian
government must satisfy the national
aspirations of its own people and that
they, the people, shall be the judges of
their rights and destinies.
The reply was made by Secretary
Lansing yesterday through the Swedish
minister in Washington. 1t calls atten-
ton to the tenth condition of peace
enunciated by President Wilson on
January s, which says the people of
Austria-Hungary should be accorded the
freest opportunity of autonomous de-
The note calls attention to the recog-
milton by the United States of the
Czecho-Slovak national council as de-
facto belligerent government and states
that this country has also recognized
the justice of the nationalistlC aSpira-
tions of the Jugo-Slavs for freedom.
The text of the note handed to the
Swedish minister follows:
Presidents Reply
Sir: I have the honor to acl1nowl-
edge the receipt of your note of the
9TH instant in which you transmit
communication of the imperial
and royal government of Austria
Hungary to the president. 1 am now
instructed by the president to re-
quest you to be good enough through
your government to convey to the
imperial and royal government the
following reply:
The president deems it his duty
to say to the Austro-Hungarian
government that he cannot enter
tain the present suggestions of
that government because of certain
events of utmost Importance which,
occurring since the delivery of his
address of the 9Th of January last,
has necessarily altered the attitude
and responsibility of the government
of the United States. Among the
fourteen terms of peace which the
president formulated at that time
occurred the following:
The peoples of Austria-Hungary,
whose place among the nations we
wish to see Safeguarded and as
Sured, should be accorded the freest
opportunity of autonomous devel-
opments.
New Development
Since that sentence was written
and uttered to the congress of the
United States the government of the
United States has recognized that a
state of beliigerency exists between
the Czecho-SloVakS and the German
and Austro- Hungarian empires and
that the Czecho-SlOvak national
council is a de facto belligerent
government clothed with proper au-
thority to direct the military and
political affairs of the Czecho-
Sloval1S.
1t has also recognized in the full
est manner the justice of the nation
alistic aspirations of the Jugo-Slo-
walks for freedom
The president is, therefore, no
longer at liberty to accept the mere
autonomy" of these peoples as
basis 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-Hungarian govern
ment will satisfy the aspirations
and their conceptions of their
rights and destiny as members Of
the family of nations.
Accept, Sir, the renewed assur-