File No. 763.72119/8291
Memorandum dictated by the Counselor of the British Embassy (Barclay) in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of State (Osborne)
Since early in October hints have been thrown out by the Austrian Minister at The Hague, through third parties, that Austria would be prepared to negotiate peace on the following terms:
- 1.
- Northern France and Belgium to be evacuated;
- 2.
- Serbia to be restored to her condition prior to 1912, and possibly to receive other divisions;
- 3.
- Formation of General Peace League founded on disarmament;
- 4.
- Questions relating to Italy, Russia, and Alsace-Lorraine to be discussed subsequently.
Hitherto these advances, which were invariably made through unofficial channels, were ignored by the British Government, but some days ago the British Minister at The Hague learned that the proposals of the Austrian Government, such as they were, would only hold good until November 20, after which date the Austrian Minister was to request further instructions.
The British Government, in the belief that this would appear to indicate that the Austrian Government regarded their own attitude as something more than a feeler, have accordingly sent the following instruction to the British Minister at The Hague:
In case you should consider serious the advances of the Austrian Minister, you may have conveyed to him similar reply to that given to German advances made through Madrid: that if the Austro-Hungarian Government wishes to make any communication to the British Government as regards peace, the latter will be prepared to receive it and to discuss it with their allies.