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Show t i Government Musi Grant; People Their Full Rights. REQUESTS DENIED i Conditions Since Janu- ary Changes Status of Dual Monarchy. .". WASHINGTON, Oct. 19. President Wilson has answered the peace note of Austria-Hungary with a, declaration that tho Austro-Hungarian government govern-ment must satisfy the national aspirations aspira-tions of its own people and that they, the people, shall be the judges of their rights and destinies. The reply was made by Secretary Lansing yesterday through the Swedish Swed-ish minister in Washington. It calls attention to the tenth condition of i peace enunciated by President Wilson on January 8 which says the people of ! Austria-Hungary should be accorded the freest opportunity of autonomous j development. The note calls attention to the recognition recog-nition by the United States of tho I Czecho-SIovaks national council as a de facto belligerent government and states that this country has also recognized recog-nized the justice of the nationalistic aspirations of the Jugo-Slavs for freedom. free-dom. Text of Note. The text of the note handed to the Swedish minister, follows: "Sir: I have the honor to ackndwl- I edgo the receipt of your note of the 7th instant in which you transmit a communication of the imperial and royal government of Austria-Hungary to tho president. I am now instructed by the president to request you to be good enough through your government to convey to the imperial and royal government the following reply: i Cannot Entertain Suggestions. "The president deems it his duty to say to the Austro-Hungarian government govern-ment that he cannot entertain the present suggestions of that government govern-ment because of certain events of utmost ut-most importance which, occurring since the delivery of his address of the 8th of January, last, have necessarily altered the attitude and responsibility j of the government of tho United States. Among the fourteen terms of peace which the president formulated j i at that time occurred the following; j " 'X. The peoples of Austro-Hun-! gary whose place among the nations we wish to see safeguarded and assured, as-sured, should be accorded the freest opportunity of autonomous development.' develop-ment.' j "Since that sentence was written 'and uttered t8 the congress of the United States the government of the United States has recognized that a J state of belligerency oxists between I -the Czecho-SIovaks and the Germau and Austro-Hungarian empires and that the Czecho-Slovak national council coun-cil is a de facto belligerent government govern-ment clothed with proper authority to direct the military and political affairs of the Czecho-SIovaks. It has also rcc- ( Continued on Pago 4.) Wilson Answers Austria (Continued from Page 1) ognized In the fullest manner the justice jus-tice of the nationalistic aspirations of the Jugo-Slavs for freedom. "The president is. therefore, no longer long-er at liberty to accept the mere 'autonomy 'au-tonomy of these peoples as a basis of peace, but is obliged to insist that they, and not he, shall be the judges of what action on the part of the Aus-tro-Hungarian government will satisfy satis-fy their aspirations and their conception concep-tion of their rights and destiny as members of the family of nations." "Accept, sir. the renewed assurances of my highest consideration. (Signed) "ROBERT LANSING." Text of Austrian Note. In announcing his reply, Secretary Lansing also made public the official text of tho Austro-Hungarian note. It follows: "Legation of Sweden, Washington, D. C, October 7. 101S. "(Translation). "Excellency: By order of my government gov-ernment I have the honor confidentially confidential-ly to transmit herewith to you the following fol-lowing communication of the imperial and royal government of Austria-Hungary to the president of the United States of America: " 'The Austro Hungarian monarchy which has waged war always and solely sole-ly as a defensive war and repeatedly given documentary evidence of its readiness to stop the shedding of blood and to arrive at a just and honorable peace, hereby addresses itself to his lordship, the president of the United States of America, and offer to conclude con-clude with him and his allies an armistice ar-mistice on every front on land, at sea and in the air and to enter immediately immediate-ly upon negotiations for a peace for which he fourteen points in the message mes-sage of President Wilson to congress of January S, 191S, and the four points contained in President Wilson's address ad-dress of February 12, 191S, should servo as a foundation and in which tho viewpoints declared by President Wilson Wil-son in his address of September 27, 1916, will also be taken into account.' "Be pleased to accept, etc. (Signed) "W. A. F. EKENGREN. "His Excellency, Robert Lansing. Secretary Sec-retary of State of the United States, Washington." oo |