Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-10-07
AUSTR|ANS
-
TO QUIT FIGHTING
Unconditional Surrender Will
Likely Follow Rejection
of Peace Offer.
ITALIANS APPLYING PlNCERS
Troops Released From Balkan
Front Also Moving To-
ward Austria.
ITALIANS APPLYING PINcERs

WASHINGTON. October 6.-"Tbc
military situation in which Austria
finds herself is the most descpratc of
that OF any nation in Europe, and will
force her. after the rejection Of her
plea for armisticc, to lay down her
arms Internationally"
This statement represents both a
State Department and a high military
officials opinion, and these are in posi-.
ton to give correct analysis Of the
plight Of the dual monarchy.
From the military point Of view. tho
statement Is based on two movements,
the latter Of which was disclosed when
stress was laid on the fact that the
new Italian offensive through Albania
for the first time applied the primcipic
OF the pincers to Austria. From villa [
has been disclosed TO this Italian
movement, 1t is plain to STAFF officers
that IT is perhaps equal in Importance
with the Macedonian drive, OF which
IL was originally part.
The Italian offensive. it is stated.
was undertaken in close logical CON
nection with the combined American
allied naval attack on Durazzo. the
austrian naval base. and the whole
against Austria by combination OF
the navy and the army.
:, ,,o,;ha What the staff says is that the
forced marches. directly toward Du-
razzo; and that this is precisely what
General Allenby is doing in Asia Minor,
taking the coast towns and opening
his main objective, Constantinople
1t Is pointed out on the map that
the, advantage lies clearly with the
Italian drive, II is to go on stimuli
taneously with the drive OF the British.
Greek; French and Serbian armies. who
have been largely freed from duty in
northerly sector for attack against
Austria. Staff officers say that Aus
tria can no longer afford to keep her
best army facing the Italians in North
ern Italy. and must Withdraw the
greater part of it to stem the tide OF
attack from the east and southeast.
leave these tanks exposed in order to
hold what she has Of Italian terri
tory. These staff officers. therefore. do
not hesitate to predict that Austria is
about to withdraw from Italy, as un-
obtrusely as she can. and that in that
respect she will he only doing what
Germany is doing in France and Bel.
gium. In both cases the "svseNations.
are being forced on Germany and Aus
tria.
ALLIED PRESSURE FORCE
BEHIND PEACE OFFER
According TO the military view. the
Austrian overture for an armistice.
which was predicted by the staff after
BulGarias surrender. is based entirely
upon the pressuer of the allied armies
and her inability TO lend forces TO Ger
many and fight her own battle against
a new army of / 100000 men let loose
against her eastern and southeastern
frontier.
Austria. it was stated day, knew
that when the hungarian Premier
and Wekerle and others assembled in
Vienna they came TO force Austria TO
make the plea for an armisticc. Aus
tria. in fact. knows the situation SO
we'll that military men here feel safe
in making the prophecy that as soon
as her proffers for anything but un-
conditional surrender shall have been
rejected, sne will cut loose absolutely
from Berlin control and lay down her
arms.
1t is pointed out to-day that one of,
the main features of an armistice is
that neither side in the fight shall con
tinue during its period TO strengthen
lines or go on in any way with the
war. One of the first stumbling
blocks to Austria, therefore, even !
General Foch would listen TO a plea
for armistice would be that she could
not faithfully carry out the terms of
an armistice. IL she lay down her arms
on her own borders and kept her forces
at war with the allies on the western
front.
In other words. Austria. to get any
countenance at all from the allies.
must follow the precedent OF Bulgaria,
which was obliged to withdraw her
lighting forces from every quarter as
guarantee Of her good faith