File No. 763.72119/532
The Minister in Denmark ( Egan) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 2, 5 a.m.]
537. Austrian Minister for Foreign Affairs in an interview with Fremdenblatt states that he steadily maintains proposal that all warring countries shall send representatives to a peace conference and at the same time insists that there shall be no armistice.
It is only by a peace conference that we can settle the hundreds of questions which have come up since the war. We are in the possession of very large territories which belong to our enemies and they have occupied very large territories which belong to us. On the seas our enemies are fighting against the submarine war. All international treaties have been abolished. It is impossible to solve any of the essential questions because they are too diffused. Those who want peace must be willing to discuss it practically in a peace conference. Should this show that it is impossible to agree then the war which has never been interrupted by an armistice must continue. The Central powers are willing to negotiate for a fair peace.
Austrian Minister here tells me that this represents the real sentiments of the Austrian Government.