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While this was being enacted at Paris, on the other side of the Atlantic was being prepared the concluding scene of the great historical tragedy, culminating in the downfall of the Habsburg Empire with its fifty millions of inhabitants. Professor Masaryk was just preparing his Washington declaration, while directly and indirectly using all the influence at his disposal in order that the reply of the American Government to the request of the two Central Empires should accord with our plans and demands. It was at this decisive moment that we received the first reports about the text of Karl’s manifesto issued on October 16, 1918, and dealing with what was termed the federalization of the Habsburg Empire. This occurred when we were about to have our Washington declaration printed, and when President Wilson was preparing his reply to Austria-Hungary. In spite of the firmness of our international position, we could not underestimate this interplay of circumstances. Professor Masaryk therefore intervened direct with the Washington Government, asking that the reply should not affect our interests. He also sent President Wilson a copy of our Washington agreement on October 17th, and at the same time he influenced the Press and official circles to interpret Karl’s manifesto correctly as a last attempt to save the Empire which, on account of its inconsistency, insincerity, and inadequacy (it did not deal with the problem of the nationalities in Hungary or with the Jugoslav problem, etc.) could not be taken seriously. We adopted similar measures against the manifesto in Paris also, and before long nobody doubted in any quarter that Karl’s effort was a failure. Even in countries such as Sweden, Norway, Holland, and Switzerland, which so much sympathized with Vienna, the Press unanimously agreed that the manifesto would serve no purpose. If, they said, it had made its appearance a year sooner, then. . . .
President Wilson acknowledged the receipt of the Washington declaration in a letter sent to Masaryk on October 18, 1918, in which he informed him that he was greatly touched by our pro-
