treatment. Official Berlin was more guarded, especially on account of the Vatican’s unambiguous attitude towards Belgium. The German Press, especially that of the Right, objected to the note, although Vorwärts published an article on August 17, 1917, expressing approval of it.
In the Allied camp the note was immediately repudiated in a very emphatic manner. France was offended by it on account of Alsace-Lorraine, and also because it placed the attackers and the attacked on the same footing. Belgium was dissatisfied that the evacuation of her territories was conditioned by the restoration of the German colonies. Italy regarded the note merely as a manifestation of the peace terms of the Central Powers. As for England and the United States, they were equally opposed to the note, which they considered to be lacking in clearness. They also disliked the manner in which it evaded the most difficult problems, and failed to condemn several acts of violence committed by the Central Powers. Moreover, the compromises which it suggested would in their opinion soon lead to a new war. In all these States the Press was practically unanimous, and not even the leading Catholics ventured to defend the note, but on the contrary, as for example in France, they protested against it.
It was typical of the Vatican policy that Russia, although at that time still an Allied and belligerent State, had been omitted from the note, and it was not sent to the Russian Government. Evidently the peace envisaged by the Vatican would have been very markedly anti-Russian in character.
We in Paris looked upon the rejection of the note as a good sign. Just at the moment when the note appeared, I was making arrangements for my visit to Rome. I was therefore doubly interested in the whole matter. I saw that it promoted the policy of the Habsburg Empire, and I conjectured that, such being the case, I was hardly likely to meet with much success if I got into touch with the Vatican.
The main question which arose in the Allied countries was whether the note had been arranged beforehand with the Governments of the Central Powers. The general impression was that this had been the case. The English and Italian Press at once published reports to this effect, and the French Press copied them. The public in the Allied countries, on the other hand, immediately received an official intimation that the Allied Governments had had no hand in this undertaking. The
