The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-03-20

Washington. March ts.---Italy has
| spurned new ana tempting peace
ouer from Austria and Germany
rms fact was officially confirmed in
diplomatic Information reaching
Washington today. II formed one Of
the principal bases of the success ~
the just concluded meeting of the In
teraiiisd war council In London
according to diplomatic advices re-
cetVed here today the results of the
war council upon which It issued a
new defiance to the central powers
and new pledge TO night to victory.
may be summed up as follows.
l. West of suex the allied line Is
| firm In political and military sense.
| Every possible military disposition to
meet--and In some instances to more
than meet--a German offensive has
been efficiently made
?. East of Suez the German men.
ace is recognized as for the present
remote. Though the entente states
| men are~reported to have been unani-
rously in favor of Japanese intervep-
ton in Siberia, they are also reported
| as willing to await the capitalization
| OF events In Russia and g. possible
| change OF the attitude OF the United
| States before taking actual measures
to meet the German advance with the
| help OF Japan.
l
respect to italy are reported to have
produced particularly happy result
| The council In effect has recognized
| the vital Importance of the italian link
In the allied chain which binds Ger
many on the west with the full CO.
operation Of Italy steps have been
! taken to haip her meet the great
thrust at the Lombardy plains OF
| which fresh evidences have developed
| within the last few days
Peace OFFER to italy.
The peace offer to italy is under
stood TO have been OF the most gem
erous nature and to have come from
a direct official source. 1t was
promptly rejected by Italy however.
as only part Of the political drive
| accompanying the Teuton thrust at
Lombardy. The shifting of the Ger
man attack to the westward. as indi-
| Gated in dispatches from Switzerland
and italy recently received here. was
! recognized as menace to effective
Italian cooperation in the war. should
! the Germans reach Brescia IL was
recognized that even II italy continued
to fight. as Premier Orlando pledged
her to. her work would be little more
| effective than that of Serbia and Ru-
mania.
Similar tenders of peace, accom-
Ipanied by threats OF a drive. were re-
| ported at tuA CCNnCn TO nave p9&m
made to Serbia and even TO France.
Not only were all rejected but. ae-
,cording to the reports here, the dele
gates to the council left assured of
the fact that ample military provision
has been taken to meet every possi-
BILE military threat.
So satisfying were the military dis
positions repoSted at the council that
the fod question has again come TO.
49, f.x-o ~ thA Ernse a3a
high commissioner Terdieu in Bafti-
more last night was the first gun in
/ a campaign to arouse America to the
need of making fresh sacrifices to-
sustain the population of the ffghtinS
countries.
| England Fairly Wei On.
England. according TO reports, -
fairly well OF for food, especially
meat. France. as shown by Captain
ardieu, is in desperate need OF cereals
The plight OF Italy Is even nacre.
desperate It is this condition, II III
believed here, which prompted Eng
land and the United States to insist
! on haste in the acquisition OF Dutch
tonnage even at the cost of action
that might be Interpreted as hosf1lGs
to Holland. III
| But hostile developments in Holland
and Scandinavia are also understood
TO have been amply discounted at the
linterallied war. council. Should Ger
many force Holland or any other o.
1.-THE Northern neutrals into actual
lhostiiities, and officials here make II
plain that only German action can DO
this in view OF the friendly provisions
made by the United States ard the
allies. Germany viii be the chief sui.
sferer.
| IL may be stated on high authority
THAT Germany all along has been worsi
Eried over the possibility Of parttcipA~
Ition In the war by the northern nea-
4 ,----------------
fContinusd on alxth Parnl &.