AUSTRIA WANTED PEACE IN 1917

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIV, Issue LIV, 16 October 1920, Page 7

AUSTRIA WANTED PEACE IN 1917

The Parisian papers have Loon bringing out; some unpublished documents on the secret mission of Prince Sixte of Bourbon to the Kraperor Charles of .Austria in 1917, about which iiiero lias been very little known, and which is of vital importance in the history of the war. A resume of the outstanding features follows. They concern the Clemenceau-Czeruin incident.

Prince Sixte of Bourbon, broth-! er of Empress Zita, was able at the outbreak of war, with the help of Emperor Franz Joseph, to leave Austria and to servo in Franco. On January 2.8. 101T, he left ihc Belgian front- and went ; with his brother to see his mother ‘ the Duchess of Parma, who told, him of the desire of Emperor ■ Charles I. to see Ids two brother-in-law in order to discuss the possibilities of peace directly with them. During this visit a letter ' arrived from Charles I. confirming the desire of peace, for which he had been very keen ever since he came to the throne. Prince Sixte requested lo lie, put in touch with a pei son holding the confidence 01 ill' 1 Emperor, and told his mother that he considered iho fundamentconditions of peace should be; The return of Alsace-Lorraine lo Fiance, the restitution of BelRum and Serbia, and finally C.onto the Russians. A messenger came from the Emperor with several documents requesting Prince Sixte to come to Vienna,, in agreement- with Count (V.ernin, who was aware of the negotiations. The nth of March Ptinee Sixte was received by M. Poincare, who was aware of the ■journey of the prince to Switzer■and. 'rimy agreed on the importance of detaching Austria, from I lie coalition by means of a -separate peace; hut the letter from Czcrnin which Prince Sixte was carrying was judged by M. Poincare to he lacking in precision and dry and diplomatic. The letter declared the Austro-Gennanic-Tnr-co-Bulgarian Alliance to be indissoluble, and requested special siiaranlecs against- Serbia. Instead, the letter from the Emperor secret am! personal, was clear and ;o the point, and showed a strong personal will. It said, particular ; y : ‘AVe will uphold France and ,ve will pm pressure on Germany iy every, means in our power. ,\j, Poincare saw possibilities for regot ration in this letter, and anloimcefl that he would communi•aie it to M. Briand, to the Tsar or the King of England, and to Mr Lloyd George} but. he feared talian indiscretions toward Germany. Ou March 8 a further in icrview took place with M. Poiu •are- M. Briand found the I'z.ernin letter ol small importance mt- thought that the commentaries if the Emperor contained a basis for an exchange of views. The wince again went to Switzerland, .vhcrc he first of all met Count Erdoedy, ' envoy of the Emperor Hilaries', lo whom he transmitted a. ( project- to be accepted by Austria containing the following points ; - ‘Return of Alsace-Lorraine Mg France and support given to | Prance; re-establishment, and in j lemnity for Belgium; re-establish-! nieiil of Serbian sovereignty and j access to the Adriatic; negotia- j lions with Russia for_ Constant!- 1 ample, whore Austria gives up herj nt.e rests ; military armistice; pro-, anise of help by the Entente to j Austria if Germany should oppo's-'i this agreement by force. ' j lii tlae meantime Af .Ribot met ! Mr Lloyd George at- Folkestone, ! .there In* spoke to him of tam| negotiations of Charles 4- On. Ap- j •il' I‘2 the first meeting of M.j Poincare and Prince Sixte with Al. j Ftihoi took place when the latter j announced that. England appeared , favorable, hut pressed the view j that they should not wait any | Anger before advising Italy. M. j ;(ihot was of the same opinion, 1 ■nit Prince Sixte feared _ indiscre-j inns from Italy. M. Ribot and j Mr Lloyd George then went to j St. Jean-de-Mauvienno, wheiy. M. Son nine insisted on the satisfaction of the full territorial claims >f Italy. _ Then came a piece of news which . night well -astonish the whole world. “The Emperor,” it said, j ■‘estimates that it is unnecessary ! o he disturbed by the exaggeration of the Italian demands.- as three weeks before an emissary from Cadorna had come to Berne (o offer peace to the Austrian Minister by means of the cession if the Treniino, where Italian is -spoken. On April 11 a despatch from Rome announced that General Cadorna did not fear an AnsIrtau offensive any more. Russia on her side, had proposed peace to Austria-. Prince Sixte again 'eft for Vienna, where he saw the Emperor, who was decided on carrying out things to the end. but vrho demanded sureties. Count, flvernin also spoke more openly, ife said he waaj not impressed by * lie boasting from the Italian headnuarters, and be hoped for negotiations. The Emperor gave • further autographed letter to the • wince, who seemed to expect, the

j signing of peace toward the middle of June. ( 1 An additional note o1 _ Count ; (>/crnin asked for confirmations' in ease of frontier' rectifications ( and guarantees concerning the in-; tegrity of the monarchy, it declared that when thfcsc two conditions had been accepted by the Entente Austria would conclude a ■ separate peace with the Entente. \