The Press Thursday, January 8, 1920 The Austrian Peace Offer.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16726, 8 January 1920, Page 6

The Press Thursday, January 8, 1920 The Austrian Peace Offer.

The Austrian overture*? for peace in the early port of 1917 are onco more the subject of discussion, although tho cablo message which eummamos tho latest version of tho story does not indicate what has revived it. This version adds very littlo to tho facts that boenmo public knowledge last year through tho Paris correspondent of tITo "Manchester Guardian." Tho only substantial addition to these facts in tho assertion that Italy sent a representative to Berne to offer Austria a separate peaco on tho basis of Italy's receiving tho Italian portion of the Trontino——an assertion which is denied by General Cadorna. Tho main facts arc not in dispute. In March. 1917, tho Emperor Karl commissioned his brother-in-law, Prince Rixte of Bourbon Parma, to express to M. Poincard his goodwill towards Prance, and to opon negotiations for peace on terms involving the restoration of Alsoeo-Lorraine, tho evacuation and compensation of Belgium, and the opening of tho Adriatic to Serbia. Prince Sixto showed this letter in strict confidence to sr. Poincaro and M. Ribot, who agreed that it Rhould be seen by nobody else except Mr Lloyd George and King George, with whom Prince Sixto had somo conversations. Mr Lloyd Georgo was favourably disposed to tho idea of entering into negotiations, but M. Poincard demanded a great deal moro than Alsace-Lorraine for France, and proposed further that Austria should redo Trieste and tho Trontino to Italy in exchange for Silesia. On April 19th M. Ribofc, Mr Llovd George, and Baron Konnino met at St. Jcan-dc-Manriennc, and there Mr Lloyd George strongly urged that the possibility of a favourable pcaco should not bo neglected. It was with reluctance that ho finally agreed to the negativo answer insisted upon by M. Ribot and Baron Sonnino. Tho negotiations were not finally aban- ' do nod until July, and it is a remarkable fact that although the French Go- ' vernmcnt admitted Italy to a knowledge ml tJio Jknperor 1 s letters (tho Emperor, encouraged by Princo Sixte's report concerning King Georgo and Mr Lloyd George, sent a second loiter guaranteeing his ability to induce Germany to make peace), they did not communicate any information to either Mr Kerensky or Wilson. Nor were either of them informed of tho German offer in August, 1917, to make peaco by meetin" the Entente's demands respecting Alsace-Lorraine. Belgium, and Italia

Irredenta, receiving in exchange com- j pensations in tho East. > One cannot help wondering what the 1 position would be to-day had the.se negotiations in 1017 result**? in an ; ending of the war. There would have j i j heen certain obvious and undeniable J • ! advantages. the first, and greatest being the avoidant of the sacrifice of millions of ]ives. Ii;;.-sia would not have passed tinder F'okhevik rule. The procent in- : dustrial and economic sickness of the j world would have Keen .-.voided, and the S j work of reconstruction would have be- I . j gun with a world in better condition to ! ' j undertake jr. and with far less chaos , ' and wreckage to clear up. Hut against j ( j those advantages must lie «-t the fact i . j that fleritianv would have been .as ! • strong. relatively to the rest of tho i j world, a.-; before th» war. and a greater I : menace than ever to li e peace of j ■ Europe. To have nassr-d through ■ • I three years of war against France and j j I'ritain, with no greater loss than | ; , Als.'vce-I.orrpine-—which would have j ! been more than compensated by gains in ! • the Knst—t!'" Kaiser and the militarists ' could wit!.out any difficulty have porj snnded the Herman people that this was i a L'reat achievement, and a guarantee | that in the future Germany, growing ! j ever stronger, would fx 1 able to enforce h<T wil] anvu-here. And the Kaiser J mil the militarists would have been j speaking no more than the truth. Tnj ternationa! relations, and the method of i arranging or altering them, would liavo . | remained as tliev were in 1011. There j could have hern no talk of a T.-oague of ' Nations. Tho nations would have had j to set to work again to rebuild and ini ereaso their armaments; the possibility, | growing at Mime date to the certainty, \ of war would have been the backgronnd |of all national activities. It must, j therefore, after ail, be accounted a j | | blessing tint the negotiations proposed ! I.'v the Emperor Karl, "whose sincerity i need not now be doubted, did not come ito anything. Hut there will be no reai son for accounting it a blessing if the J nations do not mnko full use of the opI jinrtunitv which hns boon nffortled thorn j by the romplete collapse of the perilous | international structure which peace in j 1017 would have left standing.