AUSTRIA'S' READINESS FOR PEACE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2333, 15 December 1914, Page 6

AUSTRIA'S' READINESS FOR PEACE

;•;.;/ : '& NAIVEriiDMISSION. ;The..:''.New vYork Sim" .prints a lot-. ; ter,- dated October 6, from its 'Vienna correspondent, -which..; throws -more light on .the'' simplicity of the Austrian mind.|"He;;writes:"With 'what" may seem (of 1- considerable significance to readers of: the "Sun" in America, I am 'able.to :state that diplomats) here are beginning •to discuss) the questions of iiompensation,: of. indemnities, of peace ternis, : ..though, :'as yet,,in'a general and" rather .academic manner. I have had 'ohats/1 perfectly informal and whol-;l/«-umnspired^<I'\-musfc;:confess, with •.'Prince';; So'hh, '■ ;First Secretary '. of.:''tho 'Gei^ni^Embass'y^lierei'-'-with''the American "Ambassador,, Mr. Penfield, with a gentleman: prominently . connected . : TOth : :.the;.Eoreign' Office", here, ' and . others; ;':I-perceive .this'much: -'.It will jery. difficult task, much more so /.than" was,' the 'conclusion of the Peace: Jof.vP.ditsmouth.vtcn'years ago":"'" '.' : ; : ',''\yhile;l;.was .'talking withMr): Penfield,", 'he .continues; >'.'a.-long cipher /dispatch of some 1500 words canie from Washington.)"President::' : 'AVilsdn, 'as idbubtless'Overybody, knows; is- making . strenuous .efforts- to .bring' about- an ■ early-rec'ohciliatioh- all around."■■•".■ _ tSo far i as .Austria is.: concerned, .the' correspondent' saysi. it. will : bo relativeeasy to 'bring' about peace.' .AH Aus- ' ; tria-;desires .is "the thorough, hi'milia;;iion of Scrvi'a,'.'., a; guarantee that Russia _ will "renounce her policy of provocation, her pan-Slavic dreams, her Bal- . kaii 1 preponderance, and her .thirst' for aggrandisement.'' Austria' and Ger-■many-haye.-'-agreed to establish an aufonbmbus Poland, either wholly free, or governed. under, a mild form of; Austrian, suzerainty. ) •

'But; the correspondent naively adds: '"The: chief.difficulty, in the way, - of course, is the fact that so far Kussia •is_. still'strong and unbroken'in - the military sense, and much' more crushing and decisive defeats must.be administered,to Bussia before the whole plan' becomes even feasible." These defeats, of course, are expected as soon a3 Germany can send troops from the ,Westto-the East which,'it is expected, "will not bo long hence, probably hy November, or earlier." '. As" a contrast to this optimism, the "Post" has a dispatch from the Austrian headquarters, via 'Berlin, dated November 1, saying:— is raging among the troops. 'Please urge Americans to *send immediately fifty experienced cholera experts. .'Supplies of salt infusion and apparatus for administering it especially needed. Send also full supply of packages of absorhent cotton. Please rush cholera medical supplies." The "Post" appends a footnote pointing out that as the dispatch was sent via Berlin, it must have been passed by the German military censors.