AUSTRIA'S PEACE "KITE"

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 1, 23 September 1918, Page 6

AUSTRIA'S PEACE "KITE"

JOINT REPLY BY THE ALLIES UNLIKELY

COMIC TOUCH SUPPLIED BY GERMANY _____ i (Rec. September 22/ 5.5 p.m.) London, September 21.; , Agency learns 'that it is unlikely that the AUies will jointly reply to the Austrian Teace Note. —Renter.

AUSTRIA ACKNOWLEDGES' REJECTION. (Rec. September 22, 5.5 p.m.) Amsterdam). September 21. An official message from Vienna acknowledges the refection of the AustroHungarian peace suggestion. After criticising Mr. Balfcur's speech in that connection the message laconically concludes that the Austro-Hungarian offer is still , open.—Eeuter.

A GERMAN "REPLY" TO THE NOTE . (Rec. September 22, 5.5 p.m.) Amsterdam, September 21. ( The German reply to Austria's Note was handed to the Government at Vienna' yesterday. It expresses !):e German Government's Lope that '.ho step will meet with success, though the , reception of previous attempt!) aro not encouraging. Germany is ready to take part-in tht proposed exchange of views.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

PROCLAMATION JSHON HINDENBURG THE "DEFENSIVE WAR." Amsterdam, September 20. Von Hiudenburg has issued a proclamation to the Army on the Austrian peace note. He says: "We are naturally .ready for peace; but not for such a peace- as the enemy wants. Since 1916, when the Kaiser; offered peace, the German Government has lostuio op* portunity to show th£ world it is ready to make peace; but the answer is always one of mockery and spito. Thus we have continued the defensiveovar. Our ally has-now made another offer, hut the. fight has not stopped, and we must continue. The German Army in the past four years has victoriously proved that it cannot be conquered. We shall see wliether the .enemy this time is reidy to make'peace or whether we will have to buy peace on terms, thus destroying'our future." Tho President of the Reichstag, speaking at Ravensburg, said: "In spite of our enemies' war howling, it is not impossible that' an armistice may be made before, winter."

r FRENCH REPLY TO AUSTRIA CLEMENOEAU'S SPEECH ' ■ , SUFFICIENT. (Rec. September 21, o.'io p.m.), t Paris, September 20. , Replying to the Austrian Note, M. PiolioY sent the Swiss Minister a copy of M. Clemenceau's speech, saying that it summed up France's attitude towards the Vienna Cabinet— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ..

NORWAY AND FINLAND AT LOGGER- ' ■• HEM (Rec. September 22, 5.5 p.m.) . New York, September 20. .■The New York "Times's" Copenhagen correspondent reports 'that friendly relations between Norway and Finland are endangered because Finland wants to seize part of Northern Nor\vay south of the. Varangcr , Fiord. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

THE FRANCO-RUSSIAN ALLIANCE ' ANOTHER' CANARD SENT TO THE WALL. ' ■'' (Rec. September 22, p.o p.m.) <• New York, September, 20. The New York "Times's" Paris correspondent states that the French Government has published a Yellow Book containing documents revealing the origin and development of the FrancoRussian alliance, showing the falsity of th% statement made" by the German Chancellor Mieiiaelis more than a year ago that the purpose of the FrancoRussian alliance was aggression against Germany. The Book shows that the alliance was formed for protection against German hegemony in Europe, not for the purpose of enabling France to reconquer Alsace-Lorraine. . The documents prove that the alliance was purely defensive, and that Prance anticipated Germany's onslaught in 1014. The Book also reveals the fact that the French generals correctly estimated the military forces of the possible belliger-ents.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable' Assn.

BRAVE MOTHERS OF AMERICAN SOLDIERS .. LOYAL SUPPORT FOK-THE PRESIDENT. Vancouver, September 19. At a. meeting at Evansville, Indiana, of mothers of American scldiors, it was decided to telegraph President Wilson that they would stand loyally' behind him until Germany surrendered unconditionally.— Cable Assn. " THE PRESIDENT'S REPLY. , , . Wasnington,; September 19. President in, a', message to tho mothers of soldiers, says thoir sons are making America loved and honoured wherever men love freedom and respect jufjtice. Their sacrifice will runko the world happier and safer for the wives and mothers of brave men in the days to come. . Futiire generations will riso up and call the men blessed.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.

ALLIED LABOUR'S WAR AIMS REPORT ADOPTED BY THE CONFERENCE. London, September 20. The. Inter-Allied Labour Conference adopted the report of the War Aims Committee on the Austrian Notei— Reuter. [The War Aims Committee of tho conference roport on tho Austrian Note states that Austria apparently desires to blame the Entente for continuing tho war, and aims at strengthening tho internal cohesion of the Austrian Empire. But a purely negative reply from tho Entente would incur a heavy responsibility, and the Entente should present a collective declaration of its war aims, including President Wilson's "fourteen points," and secure a statement of the enemy's war aims, to r-.nable the Labour movement to study both.] WORKERS AT THE PEACE CONFERENCE. ■ (Rec. September 22, 5:5 p.m.) London, September 21. At the Labour Conference Jlr. Frey, nn American delegate, moved the adoption of tho report of the War Aims Committee, accepting President Wilson's principles, and declaring their iitention to assist the war to the utmost until the Central Powers have been expelled from the invaded .countries and their militarism and autocracy destroyed; also, that the workers should hold a conference simultaneously with the Peace Conference, and should be represented at the. latter. M. Noisk, in a speech, introduced the discussion on the new Russian report, declaring that intervention must lie actuated by the desire to preserve the liberty of the democracy and the world's peace. The closure w-iis applied, and the report adopted, after several French

delegates had complained that the British representation was unduly heavy. They threatened to quit the conference. Subsequently it was decided that overy large nation would bo entitled to twenty votes, and every small nation to five.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

THE PRESIDENT'S" FOURTEEN POINTS" AMERICA'S PROGRAMME FOR THE ■WORLD'S PEACE. In n message to Congress on January 8, President Wilson said that America's programme for the world's peaco was as follows:— 1. Open covenants of peace openly arrived at, after which thero shall be 110 private international understandings of any kind, bnt diplomacy shall proceed always frankly and in the public viow. 2. Absolute freedom of navigation upon the seas outside territorial waters, aliko in peaco and in war, except as the seas may bo; closed in whole or in part by international action for the enforcement of international covenants. 3. Tho removal so far as possiblo of all economic barriers, and the cstab- | Hshment elf an equality of trade conditions among all tho nations consenting to the peace and associating themselves fbr its maintenance. 4., Adequate guarantees given _ and taken that national armaments will be reduced tg the lowest point consistent with domestic safety.. 5. A free, open-minded, and absolutely impartial adjustment of all colonial claims based upon a strict observance of the principle that in determining all such questions 08 sovereignty the interests of the populations concerned must have equal woight with the equitable claims oft the Government whose title is to be determined. 6. The evacuation of all Russian territory anjl such a settlement of all questions affecting Russia as. will seure tho best and freest co-operation of the other nations of the world in obtaining for her an unhampered and unembarrassed opportunity for the independent determination of her own political development and national policy, and assure, her. of a sincere welcome into the society of free nations under institutions of her own choosing; and more than a welcome assistance every kind that she may need and may herself desire. , The treatment accorded Russia .by her sister nations in the months to come 'will bo the acid test of their good will, of their comprehension, of her needs, as distinguished from their own interests and of their intelligent and unselfish sympathy. .7. Belgium, the whole world will agree, must be evacuated a.nd restored without any attempt to limit the sovo■leignty which she enjoys in common with all other free nations. No other single act will serve as this will serve to restore confidence among: the nations in the laws which.-they have themselves set and determined for the government of their relations with one 'another. Without this healing act the whole structure and validity of international law is for ever impaired. ' 8. All Trench territory should bo freed and the invaded portions restored, and the wrong done to France by Prussia in 1871 in tho matter' of Al-fiSce-Lorraine, which has unsettled tho peaco of the world for nearly fifty years, should be righted, in order that peace may once more be made secure in the interest of all. 9. A readjustment of the frontiers of Italy should be effected along clearly recognisable lines of nationality. 10. The peoples of Austria-Hungary, tfhose place among the nations we wish to see safeguarded and assured, should be accorded the first opportunity to autonomous development. ]$. Rumania, Serbia, and Montenegro should be evacuated, occupied (territories restored, Serbia, accorded free and' secure 'accesß to the sea, and the relations of the several Balkan States to one another determined by friendly counsel along historicallypstablished lines of allegiance and nationality, and international guarantees of the lxilitical and economic independence and territorial integrity of the several Balkan States should be entered into. 12. The Turkish portions of the present Ottoman Empire should be assured a secure sovereignty, but-the. other nationalities whioh are now under Turkish rule should ho fissured an undoubted security of life and an absolutely unmolested opportunity of autonomous development, and the Dardanelles should be permanently onenpd as a-free passage trt the ships and commerce of all nations under international guarantees. 13. An independent Polish _ State should be erected whioh should include the territories inhabited bv indisputably Polish populations which should be assured a free' and secure access to the sea, and whoso political and economic independence and territorial in-top-itj; should be guaranteed by international covenant. 14. A general' association of nations must he formed under specific covenants for the purnosp of affording mutual CTranfres of nolitiail and territorial indpiwndence for great 'and small States alike.- ■■■•-