Austria-Hungary peace offer rejected – the war will continue

Washington DC, 18 Sept 1918 - The United States has rejected an offer for a peace conference from Austria-Hungary.

Earlier this week, the Austro-Hungarian government, acknowledging the growing desire for peace across all combatant countries, issued a note inviting all belligerent states to enter into discussions in a neutral country.

Now, ‘animated by the spirit of reconciliation’ which they state had already been expressed in a note from 12 December 1916, ‘the Austro-Hungarian Government has decided to approach all the belligerent states and invite them to pave the way to a peace which would be honourable for all parties by a confidential non-binding exchange of views’.

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The note also made reference to the appeal of Pope Benedict XV who, last year, exhorted all belligerents to seek an understanding to end the suffering. Austria Hungary expressed the hope that the Pontiff would ‘sympathise with our note and support it with his moral influence’.

However, the key audience for the note is undoubtedly government and public opinion in the allied states and in this respect the response to the Austro-Hungarian offer has been dismal. America’s rejection has been in keeping with the overwhelmingly negative press reaction in allied countries.

In the UK, the Daily Telegraph has characterised the overture as being strategic in intent, suggesting that the real reason it is being made is to allow time to reorganise their ‘shattered forces’.

The German government, though it denies having any advance knowledge of the Austro-Hungarian note, has given it a firm welcome.

[Editor's note: This is an article from Century Ireland, a fortnightly online newspaper, written from the perspective of a journalist 100 years ago, based on news reports of the time.]