sure that they were
about to lose on the field of battle. They had made pleas for peace
before, but their pleas had been rejected.

The Allied leaders were fighting for a principle. They could not be
satisfied with a draw. They could not be satisfied if Germany were left
in a position which would enable her after a rest of a few years to
renew her effort to impose her will upon the world. It was unanimously
recognized that the war must be carried on to the very end. The Allies
took this position when the fortunes of war seemed to have gone against
them, when Russia was defeated, Roumania and Serbia crushed, and the
German lines in France were approaching the capital. It was unlikely
that now, when Germany was suffering defeat and every day was yielding
the Allied armies encouraging gains, there should be any change in the
strong determination of the Allied leaders. Nevertheless, it was
necessary to make the attempt.

On September 15th, the Austro-Hungarian Government addressed a
communication to the Allied Powers and to the Holy See suggesting a
meeting for a confidential and non-binding discussion of war aims, with
a view to the possible calling of a peace conference.

The official communication from the Austro-Hungarian Government was
handed to Secretary of State Lansing in Washington at 6.20 o'clock on
September 16th.

At 6.45 the following abbreviated reply of the United States Government
was made public, by the Secretary of State:

I am authorized by the President to state that the following will be the
reply of this government to the Austro-Hungarian note proposing an
unofficial conference of belligerents. "The Government of the United
States feels that there is only one reply which it can make to the
suggestion of the Austro-Hungarian Government. It has repeatedly and
with entire candor stated the terms upon which the United States would
consider peace, and can and will entertain no proposal for a conference
upon the matter concerning which it has made its position and purpose so
plain."

Arthur J. Balfour, the British Foreign Secretary, in a statement made
September 16th said: "It is incredible that anything can come of this
proposal.... This cynical proposal of the Austrian Government is not a
genuine attempt to obtain peace. It is an attempt to divide the Allies."
Premier Clemenceau in France took similar grounds, and stated in the
French Senate: "We will fight until the hour when the enemy comes t