Committee was in Berlin and was favourably received by the German Imperial Government in the matter of providing for German-Austria.  Although German soldiers fought by the side of ours in the Alps and the Carpathians, the alliance has now been violated by this effort to approach Wilson without the consent of the German Empire, as is expressly stated in the Note.  Besides which, no previous agreement with the representatives of the German Executive Committee was sought for.  They were ignored and the answer was sent to Wilson.  The German Nationalist parties strongly protest against such an unqualifiable act and will insist in the German Executive Committee that German-Austria’s right of self-determination be unconditionally upheld and peace be secured in concert with the German Empire.”

Neither would the German-Austrian Social Democrats have been a party to such a movement.

A conscious and intended misrepresentation of fact lies before us if it be maintained to-day that either the National Assembly or the Austrian Social Democrats would have approved of and supported such policy.  I again have in mind the Andrassy days.

On October 30 the National Assembly took up its position for action.  Dr. Sylvester drew up the report and pointed out the following: 

“It was, however, neither necessary nor desirable to make the attempt in such a way as to create an incurable rupture between German-Austria and the German Empire that would endanger the future of our people.  The German-Austrian National Assembly asserts that the Note of October 27 from the Royal and Imperial Minister for Foreign Affairs was drawn up and dispatched to President Wilson without in any way coming to an agreement with the representatives of the German-Austrian people.  The National Assembly protests all the more insistently against this proceeding as the nation to which the present Minister for Foreign Affairs belongs has expressly refused any joint dealings.  The National Assembly states that it and its organs alone have the right to represent the German-Austrian people in all matters relating to foreign affairs and particularly in all peace negotiations.”

The protest met with no opposition in the National Assembly.

Afterwards the chairman, Dr. Ellenbogen, the Social Democrat, spoke as follows: 

“Instead of now telling the German Emperor that his remaining in office is the greatest obstacle to peace” (loud applause from the Social Democrats), “and if there ever were an object in Curtius’s famous leap, it would be comprehensible now were the German Emperor to copy it to save his people, this coalition now seizes the present moment to break away from Germany and in doing so attacks German democracy in the rear.  Those gentlemen arrived too late to gain any profit from the peace.  What now remains is the bare and shameful breach of faith, the thanks of the House of Austria, so styled by a celebrated German poet.” (Applause from the Social Democrats and the German Radicals.)

It was the attack on the separate peace that furnished the exceptional opportunity for Social Democrats and German Radicals to unite in common applause, probably the first instance of such a thing in all these years of war.