The Auetrci-Hungarian Government- on -Saturday last addressed a Note, couched
inthe,unotatous rhetorio dear to the Vienna Foreign Office, to the belligerent _States,,inviting them "-to send delegates to a confidential and. non-binding .disouaolon. .on herds principles for theoonclusion of peace," to be held in a neutral country and at a near date. The Note repeated the familiar lie that the enemy is only waging a .war of defence, and urged that a military decision was impossible, as it certainly is -from the -Austrian and German stand- point. An- exchange of views, it was- added, would not involve an armistice. Ina special-Note,. the Pope, always the good friend of the Hapsburg dynasty, was asked to use, hbeinfluenee on behalf of the :proposal. The German Frees professed astonishment. and scepticism, but the German Government. admitted later that, they had.known all about the Note before it -was sent out, just as they knew all about-the Austrian ultimatum to Serbia in July, 1914,- whioh pro- , v,oked the war.
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