WAR TOILS.

Northern Advocate, 8 January 1920, Page 5

WAR TOILS.

AUSTRIA SOUGHT RELEASE

PARIS, Jan. G.

A circumstantial account of Austria's negotiations for a separate peace in 917 states that the ex-Empress Zita, when in Switzerland, gave Lor brother, Prince Sixte of Bavaria, a note from the ex-Emperor Karl, soliciting his aid to secure peace. Prince Sixte said that peace was not obtainable without the restoration of Alsace-Lorraine to France, the cession of Constantinople to Russia, and of Albania to Serbia. Prince Sixte on March 5 handed to President Poincare the Emperor Karl's Note, declaring that he was a strong supporter of Fiance, adding: "We are absolutely not in Germany's hands. We only went, in to maintain our present frontiers." Prince Sixte later visited Austria. The Emperor Karl said that if he could not induce Germany to make a just peace he would make a separate peace rather than sacrifice the Empire to Germany's madness.

Prince Sixte had many interviews in Prance, including one with President Poincare, M. Ribot, Premier, and Mr Lloyd George. He went to England and saw Mr Lloyd George, who took him to see the King. The overtures failed because the Entente was unable to arrange terms satisfactory to Italy, which insisted on the Tyrol, though, according to the Emperor Karl, Cadorna sent an emissary to Berne offering separate peace on condition that Italy should receive the Italian portion of the Trentino.

Cadorna denies the story of the Berne mission as a pure invention. The Italian newspapers suggest that the story was circulated during the negotiations in order to sow dissension between Italy and the other Entente Powers by blaming Italy for the failure of the negotiations.—A. and N.Z.