CZERNIN'S PEACE INTRIGUE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 171, 9 April 1918, Page 5

CZERNIN'S PEACE INTRIGUE

FRANCE AND AUSTRIA ' j " LISTEN, AND SAY NOTHING " ; Paris, April 7. ; Official.—When , M. Clemenceau ' as- ' ; sumed office conversations were going ; on in Switzerland.. M. Cleraenceau ! did not interfere, but; instructed _M. ' Armaiid to listen nothing. : The Government realised that Aus- ; tria and Germany could not be separ- .' atod except by military defeat. Etch unofficial negotiations with Austria .' j would only disturb Italy and Serbia: i therefore Franco carefully avoided : Count Czerain's cunning snare. The ■ Government recognises that the object .: of his speech was to placate those Aus- : trians who are opposed to participation i , in the- war on the West front, and also \ to throw the blame on the Entente for ■ i continuing the war.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable ; Assn. J BRITISH OFFICIAL COMMENT ;■ ENEMY'S IDEALS DISSECTED. .! London, April 7. ; Lord Robert Cecil, in reply to Count : Czernin's allegations, said that Czbrmri; ' reflects the Prussian ideals of policy. j Ho claims with great audacity that the , Central Powers' peace ideals are based . j on solf-determination and no annexa- \ tions or indemnities. All these claims ' | aro hypocritical. In the annexed territories the only people considered were the Gorman barons. No attempt had ; been made to consider tho people, who were treated as mero counters, without ', reference to racial conditions. In- ; stead of indemnities Rumania was forced to give an oil monopoly, while all food was seized in the Ukraine.— i Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. I REICHSTAG RESOLUTION JETTISONED . ; Copenhagen, April 7. : Dr. Abless, a member of tho extreme j section of the Gorman Liberals, in a ( speech at Hirschberg, in Silesia,. said ; that evon tho Liberal parties no longer considered the Reichstag's peace resolii- ! tion as binding.—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. ;