Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-05-22

AUSTRIA OFFERS
PEACE TO ITALY
Germany Reported to Have
Prompted Move by Vienna
Government
PROPOSAL IS IGNORED
Internal Trouble and Eco
nomic Pressure Grave in
Dual Monarchy
By CLINTON ". GILBERT

rStoUI toTTcSpohdCnt Et'niHO PubIlC i.CdDcr
Washington, May -.
II Is reported in diplomatic circles
here that Austria offered concessions to
Italy with view to obtaining a separate
eDeace. Italy is said to have refused
to consider the proposals II is under
stood that Austria vas moved by her
Internal difficulties to make the over
lures. especially by the trouble she is
having with her Slavic subject peoples
Germany is reported to have brought
Pressure to bear upon Austria to make
what she regarded adequate conces-
sions to Italy, for Germany wished to
eliminate Italy from the war. and
moreover to relieve the stress within
= Austria herself
Austria as an ally is fast becoming
a burden rather than an aid to Ger
many, for the task OF sustaining her
as combatant falls upon Berlin. Since
Italy reached an agreement with the
Jungo-slavs, Austria's future has be-
come precarious and the need Of OBJ
tanning peace with Italy which will
prevent her fomenting revolut on
among the SiaVs more imperative
The policy of supporting the Separa-
use anoPlohs OIL me 'ZerhS and Iungo-
siaVs mas eNloentlN become NOR" def
IS nite. "A snort time ago All thaf existed
was an agreement made IN London be
tween the representatives. OF IarG"
element IN italy and agents Of the
Jungo-slavs
This agreement was unofficial
Ca,,o, ,,,ro,, ,,,
an ltalian authority mere IN WASH
ihgtoh salu win regard 10 the peace
g poposals OF AuS'tia
lay lay WI, MOI HSteh I" any proposal
OF inns k'hu' nor ue receptive 10 any
sucn approach She VIII go on WIN
nsr iiiilitary operations ana al tfle same
tire Win hef politICal work among 'he
49, ,,,it, n.hol,' u,
has been reached which is bound TO
pear important results III snort ',me
IL is not possible no" TO reNea me
paais or the agreements between itaI%'
on one side ana tne 'Iecho-SioNahs
and Jugo-slaNs on the other' as II
would involve a revelation or the plans
ef actlon' ihe tact IS the UNDERSTANDS
& ing is complete on every polh'' ana 'he
Eastern Adrlatlc ana balkan prooIahs
VIII not IN the IutuFe be IN" source "'
constant engagements that 'heF nave
peen IN tne past
'.ltaly feels deeply the sympathy that
q always has attached her TO the SlaNlc
races II Is matter OF history 'hat
OF all the European nations ltaIE was
me nrst 10 estapilSh trlehulE reia''ohS
with Russia at that Time me recoS
nized spokesman or All the SlaNlc ma
tionalities. II Is also matter OF ms
tory that even during the years oI the
tne reaIization or lhe P'amS OF dEkr
sion against serbia ana montenegro
ltaly's ATTITUDE IN 'h's regard va:
not dictated SoIelN hE the heCtSsItN %
preventing the extension or the leu-
tonic power INTO SoutheaS'erH Eu'"pe'
but primarily bN 'he sentiment 'n"t
the Eastern Adriaic problem resen1-
bied in many respects the Itallan PROB
lem prior to 1866.
,..,... po.,,,on r,ch,rc.d
Haiy stanos l uaE as s"e IldS SOU
TOT tne iast thirN IS--as l'.e .,,',, W..
plon OF the nationaIltles t.'eaI,n.eu IiS w
z the pan-Cermanlc plan OF aggression
and expansion. nus roIe ''a'H Sn"leu
lk witn RUSSIA uhtil the ne" S'"'u9 Ne'
established IN the great ai%H NATION nation
Since, however the bolsheNih S"ne.n
ment abandoned the pro'eE''Cn VI 1ne
siayic peoples, ms I"tn u. i,o,', ,o.,l
,pon Italy.
'The Government rcached WIN 'he
slavic natlonallties' "pPreSS.u ~
tnreateneu WIN oPPosIl''', W
nungary ana ,'tr''.al,3 ,','. ,,'.I,.
sesu. oi u's h ,na paiI,a3 nrDh.
aS "au ar, "a'u % con,.irci,,g tho races
80 nr.ressad and ofter deceiyed bv
$50 .hat Italy vas sinrereIv working
rar,,h.ir freedom has been difficult and
inng Italian diplomacv in good faith
has succeeded at last The Rome Gov
ernment may therefore be considered
for that reason ono Of the hardest
blows delivered against the TeutCntc
Powers since the war started
This statement implies that the ItaI-
Ian Government mas entered INTO a I"r-
NAL agreement with tne var Gus SIoupS u.
of austrian S!aIS' anu '""l l"e n,ltIS
of disrupuhg OF Huslrl" y,
pne,, AT least on Tue pa " lia
may wen pe ',e ,..,,,II.d
fnesn.s 10y 'oudsi ~. .aroa,,e,t vim the
y.. ST. tha soHcsIIed Tore agree
',as., ao,'s draf,ed in Tondon. probablv
,ri,, Rritisb commencement.
,rha original poIiCy Of the Entente, as
we'll as Cf this country. was to seek
the friendship of Austria by assuring
her asainst dismembershp. 1t failed.
~. ,,. ,
Besides the trouhie WIN ner oISNs
Austria Is sunerihg from economic pres
- = na