Show WILSON REJECTS AUSTRIA'S OFFER MUST SATISFY ASPIRATIONS OF CZECHS AND SLOVAKS BEFORE U. U S. S WILL DISCUSS TERMS President Insists That Oppressed People People Peo Peo- pIe of of Dual Empire Shall Be Judges I of What Action of Government Will 1 Satisfy Their Aspirations Washington President President lt Wilson on October 19 answered Hun Austria garys gary's plea for peace with ith the reply that conditions are so altered since January 8 that he he cannot now accept their autonomy autonom plan ns as a basis bash of peace Instead he Insisted that the the theop oppressed oppressed oppressed op op- op- op pressed peoples of the tine dual empire shall be the judges of what action on the part of the Austro government gov gov- will satisfy their aspirations In substance It was a refusal to do any peace business with Austria The Tine note as transmitted from Secretary Secretary Secre Secre- tary of State Lansing to the Swedish minister said I have the honor to to- acknowledge ge the tine receipt of your note of the th in which you OU transmit a communication communication com conn- from the Imperial and royal roal government of Hungary Austria-Hungary to the tine president I am now instructed by the presIdent president president dent to request you to be good enough through your government to convey to the tine Imperial and royal roal government the following reply 41 The president deems It bl his duty t 1 to say to the tIne Austro government government government gov gov- that he cannot entertain the present suggestions of that government government govern govern- ment because of certain events of utmost utmost utmost ut ut- ut- ut most Importance which occurring since the tine delivery of his address of the tine of January last have n necessarily ces ce's arny altered the attitude and l' l responsibility of the government of the United States 4 Among the tine fourt fourteen en terms of peace which the president formulated at that time time occurred the following Tie Ten Ten Tre e peoples of Austria Austria- Hungary whose place among the tIne Inn Inn- na nations Hons we wi wIsh Ih h to see safeguarded guarded antI and assured should be accorded tine the fre freest st opportunity of of autonomous J lop develop ment meat Since that sentence was written and uttered to the the theco co congress of the United States the government of the tine United States States has hus recognized that a n state of belligerency exists between the Slovaks Czecho-Slovaks and the the German and anti Austro empires and that the Slovaks Slovaks' national c council is a It de facto belligerent government clothed with proper authority to direct the military and tind political affairs of the tine Czecho It It Inns has also in the fullest fullest fullest full full- est manner the tine justice bf of the nationalIstic nationalistic nationalistic national national- aspirations of Slavs the for freedom Tine The Th president Is therefore no mo longer at liberty to to accept a mere autonomy of pf these peoples as as asa a basis of peace pence b but is obliged to insist that I f the they and not he shall be the tine judges of oft i wh what t action on tl the par part ft of the Austro- Austro Hungarian government go will j Austro-j their in tion and their Ul lr con conception eption of their rights rights' tin and l destiny as us nem- nem hers bers of or the family of nations |