Show AMERICANS REJECT HUN PEACE FEELER U. U 8 S. TERMS FOR PEACE ALREADY GIVEN OUT OT DECLARES SECRETARY LANSIN LANSING r Governments Government's Position Restated in Plain Plan Words of Hungarian Austro-Hungarian Government Government Government Govern Govern- ment Reaches Capital Capita Washington Wf The United States as was fully expected has hns unconditionally unconditional uncondItional- ly iy rejected German Germanys Germany's s peace feeler in doing so the time government has hus spoken for all the time O co Almost Immediately tel after receiving the Austrian governments government's note from the minister from froIn Sweden S Mr Eckengren Eckengren Ecken- Ecken gren Secretary Lansing ansing issued this formal statement I 1 am tim authorized by the president to state that the time f following fallowing will be be jie the ther r reply ply of this government t to the Austro note proposing an unofficial conference of belligerents Time The government ent of t the thi United States State feels that there is only one ono reply which It can can make to the suggestion of the time imperial Hungarian Austro g govern gOern- gOern ern ment It has repeatedly ly and with entire entire en en- tire candor stated the time terms upon pon which the time United States would consider consider consider con con- sider peace leace an and can an and will entertain enter enter- tam tain no proposal for a conference upon a matter concerning which It has m made de deits its position and p purpose so plain Mr Lansing's statement was given out omit within an hOur an n h hour ur after after im he hau received the Austrian proposal It would have been forthcoming almost immediately immediately- upon pon the delivery of the Austrian note ot l had It not ot been bee found necess necessary q in order rd to avoid the possibility possibility oSSi- oSSi of grave error to make a n careful careful careful care care- ful comparison b between tween the official fC text t and that which was received In news dispatches from Amsterdam Thus empl emphasis isis was added to the declination If any were n needed eded the time quickness of the reply Indicating the existence of no shadow of f doubt in inthe inthe the minds of the ad administration as to what it should be There Is some some reason to believe belleve that tile the secretary acted with this unprecedented unprecedented dented promptness in a n matter of such g great gat e t Import with the design not only to Indicate clearly arly the position n of the United States government but perhaps to anticipate and pr prevent vent ventas as as far far- faras as possible newspaper dIsc discussions of the Austrian proposition which might convey convey convey con con- vey to the enemy enemy a n mI misleading Impression impression sion that there was an any considerable elem element nt in t the e United States willing willingto to consider n negotiated negotiate pe peace such as the n non binding nb discussions proposed proposed proposed pro pro- pro pro- posed by Austria might develop |