Show AMERICANS REJECT HUN PEACE FEELER US U S S. TERMS FOR PEACE ALREADY GIVEN OUT DECLARES SECRETARY LAN LANSING LANDING IN Governments Government's Position Restated In it Plain Words When Suggestion of H Austro-H Hungarian Austro-Hungarian Government Government Government Govern- Govern ment Reaches Capital Washington The The United States Singes a awas as was as fully expected has expected has unconditionally unconditional ly rejected Germanys Germany's peace feeler In Jn doing so so the government has bus spoken for all nIl the co co Almost Immediately after receiving the Austrian governments government's note from the minister from Sweden Mr r. r Eckengren Eckengren Ecken Ecken- gren Secretary Lansing I issued sued tills tI I formal statement I am nm authorized by the president to state slate that the following will be the reply of this government to the Austro Hungarian note proposing an un unofficial conference of belligerents The government of the United States fee feels s that there is only one reply which it can make to the suggestion of the he imperial Austro govern govern- i ment It has repeatedly and with entire entire en en- I en-I tire candor stated stated the terms upon which time the United St States tes would eon con consider on- on sider sides peace and can and nd will entertain enter enter- entertain tain no proposal for a u conference upon n a mutter matter concerning which It has made its position and purpose so plain M Mr Lansing's statement was given out within half an hour after he had received received the tIle Austrian proposal It would have been forthcoming almost immediately upon the delivery of the Austrian note had it not been found necessary in order to avoid the possibility possibility of grave error to make a careful careful careful care care- ful comparison between the official text and that which was was received in news dispatches from Amsterdam Thus emphasis was added to the to he the declination If any were needed the quickness of the reply indicating the I existence e of no shadow of doubt Inthe in inthe inthe the minds of the administration as as to what It should be There is some reason renson to be believe leve- leve that the secretary acted with this unprecedented unprecedented unprecedented dented pr promptness In a matter of such I great Import with the design not only to o indicate clearly tb the position of the the United States government nt but perhaps perhaps' to an anticipate Cip te and as far far as possible newspaper discussions of the them thel Austrian proposition which might convey con con- con j vey to the enemy a misleading Impression impression sion tha there was Y any apy considerable element t II Jn the United States willing to consider a negotiated peace such as ns the non binding n n discussions pr proposed proposed pro pro- J posed li by Austria might develop I |