Karl blames mother-in-law for letter

April 13, 1918

Count Czernin, the Austro-Hungarian Foreign Monister," has issued a statement "by all-highest command," and declares that Emperor Karl's letter published in France was "falsified," according to the New York Times. The declaration states that Empress Zita's brother, Prince Sixtus of Bourbon-Parma began the letter, and Karl "wrote a purely private letter, which did not mention Belgium. The emperor wrote: I would have used all my personal influence in favor of the French claims for the return of Alsace-Lorraine if these claims were just. They are not, however."
The official explanation of this "peace letter" is that it was written by the Duchess of Parma to her son, Prince Sixtus, and the "Emperor must have added certain lines over his signature." This view in Vienna explains how French Premier Clemenenceau "was able to say that the letter was signed by the Emperor.