THE PEACE OFFENSIVE.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14869, 18 September 1918, Page 5

THE PEACE OFFENSIVE.

AUSTRIA'S NOTE TO BELLIGER-

ENTS.

GROTESQUE SUGGESTIONS

CENTRAL POWERS PLAYING FOR

TIME

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association)

London, Sept. 16

Mr Balfour, speaking as an individual member of the Cabinet, said he saw not the. slightest hope of peace being reached through the Austrian proposals. . *

The newspapers generally ridicule the peace offers, though they point out that they show that Austria is on her last legs. Really there are three separate overtures.

Apart from the Austrian olive branch, Germany proposes that all the Powers should withdraw troops from the Murman coast, the trick lying in the fact that the Allies are well established on the Murmau coast, while there are no Germans within many miles., .s ■. The second effort is the. definite peace offer to Belgium, which includes no indemnity and no reparation, only {cessation of hostilities and' evacuation | if Belgium consents to remain neutral

jto the end of-the [ Germany realises that she miist soon i withdraw from Belgium, and if Germany can obtain: a treaty which bars Belgian, territory"to the Allied troops ! raid aircraft she will add enormously" to

CABLE NEWS. [Press Association—Copyright.]

the difficulties of attacks against Gcrs man territory and cities. i One of the strangest proposals is -the suggestion that mu.ch-injured Bolgmm should act as a sort of mediator .between her present allies aud Germany, with tho object of securing the restoration of the German colonies The consideration offered Belgium is the reestablishment of her economic and political independence after the war and tho old economic treaties with Germany j wall bo renewed. I The proposal adds that tho Flemish question must be considered, and the Flemish minority, which aided the German invaders, shall not ■be ■ penal- | The "Daily Chronicle's" Amsterdam correspondent writes .--The Austrian proposal for a peace conference was first seriously considt^d at the recent imposing meeting at German Headquarters, Indeed the only object dis;cussed at length was the Austrian demand for peace proposals, which was so insistent that the Gorman Government had to give its umvillinjv consent Th© Germans also acted in fiio hope thai such proposals might have an effect upon Entonto pacifists, whom the German Government credit with having great influence. It was also thought that the proposal might have an effect ( on the British general election. | Knowing that the Austro-Huhgarian | proposal was coming, the German Government set about the task of questioning what chance such a step might have. After long conversations at Headquarters, the terms of Yon Payer's speech were fixed with a solid backbone of Pan-Germanism, and Yon Payer talked about Belgium's guilt. His assertion that Germany was the attacked party and the proposal that the Entente should liot interfere with the Brest Litovsk peace make the Austro-' Hungarian move useless. i The Kaiser's blatant pomposity and insufferable arrogance at Essen show the insincerity of tho whole Business. The "Daily Telegraph" says th© Axis-, jtrian proposals are absurd and insin- | cere. The real object is to gain time ifor the reorganisation of the shattered i forces. Accordingly Austro-Germany jis casting a bone of contention, hoping jto create a division of feeling in Allied J circles. We must find a repentant and j contrite Germany before we can hope to I enter the council chamber to discuss I peace. I The "Daily Chronicle" says:—Three closely related incidents at the weekend reveal more vividly oven than the Kaiser's hectic oration tho changed mentality of our enemies, owing to tho (influence of the Allied victories. It is ! certain that all three proposals will be rejected. That they are made concurrently is proof that the Central Em-

pires are in a very bad way. The free* nations of the world ai*e determined to hold together until the sinister menace of militarism is finally removed and the prestige of Germany shattered. The "Daily Express" says:—They that drew the sword are seeking 'to save themselves from perishing by., the. sword. There can be no peace until Germany admits- her offences against civilisation. While she wants to shake

hands and bo mends, her U-boats sink the Galway Castle and many of the crew and passengors are added to the long list of murdered civilians. The "Daily News" remarks that responsible and sober-minded men should face squarely the Austrian proposals. The most convinced enemies of secret diplomacy must be constrained to admit that peace will never bo achieved through an interchange launched across continents from public platforms. There is no solid ground on which the statement is based. While sincerely zealous for peace, Aye can justly reject the Austrian proposals'. Tho Allies have everything to gain *md nothing to lose by discussion.