The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-11-28
WITH AMERICANS
ON ITALIAN FRONT
LETTER WRITTEN PRIOR TO THE
SIGNING OF ARMlSTlcE TELLS
OF SUSPICION
BOHEMIANS FIGHT WITH THE ALLIES
Troops In Italy Have Opinion That
The German Proposals Are A.
tempt At Ambuscade
BY H. c. EVANS
Copyright 1879

to the recent signing OF the armistice.
1t gives an interesting Insight into
the manner in which the fighting men
on the Italian front regarded the
peace offensive"
With American Army on Italian
Front-The allied armies-Italy, Brit
ish, French, Italians and Americans
know that the Germanic peace prop
osition is nothing but an attempt at
an ambuscade. But a few short weeks
ago the kaiser declared that the war
was a duel to the death between two
conceptions of life, the German n
ception and the Anglo-Saxon. The
world knows that the kaiser stated
the truth. It's a fight between two
forms of government, one of which
will live, the other will die, unless the
struggle ends in a compromise. If it
does Sc end the government by force
has not been destroye, and no nation
is safe.
Twenty-four hours after Austria's
first proposal of peace, Italy was pla-
carded from Naples to the Piave with
pictures of a man with q monsters
face holding u the olive branch in
one hand and a concealed dagger in
the other. The monster man was Ia
bled Austria"
Later when the joint proposal from
the Central Powers was made, fam
ing posters greeted the y on every
exposed wall ~denouncing it as a trick
to gain time to re-mobiliZe their de-
feated armies / quote from the post
ers:
1.-THE Germans are retreating so fast
they cannot dig themselves in.
can armist'ce would give them time
to dig. = 9
when our enemies were victorious
they boosted of the cleaning sword
and the mailed fist
Now that they are being defeated,
they declare all peoples should be de-
livered from the miseries of war.
"The Austrian emperor declares that
he 'ardently desires the war should
end. He also ardently desired that it
should begin, for he began it.
Fight on Italians! Complete vic
tory is near"
French and British officers and men
laughed at the proposal. Americans
scorned it. With one accord the allies
in Italy declare that if peace is de-
clared with Germany intact the kaiser
and his war lords would Immediately
present themselves to the people as
the saviors of Germany. They would
claim that with the whole world in
arms against them they had prevented
a single hostile foot from being placed
on the sacred soil Of Germany. They
would declare that their victorious
army and navy, under their leadership
had saved Germany, and the prestige
of the military system, which the allies
are trying to destroy, would be re-
vived.
There's a feeling prevalent among
the people of Europe. and it's growing
stronger every day, that has not found
official voice from any of the allied
governments. 1t is that there shall be
no conference whatsoever with the
central w e andsno cessation Of
hostilities until the Hohenzollerns and
Hapsburgs are dethroned and forever
banished from Germany and Austria.
Indeed, it is the belief of many in
France and Italy that President Will
Nothing else would so arouse the
fighting forces and the populace Of
our European allies.
Here's a bit of Austrian propagan-
da: On the day following Austria's
first peace proposal a couple of Ital-
ians whom the Austrians held pris-
oners were e across the Pave river
into the American camp. They were
told to tell the Americans and Italians
that the Austrians were retiring and
that they did not want to fight IN
longer. The two Italians had been
prisoners since the Austrian offensive
a year ago. They were half naked
and half starved. They were in no
condition to think straight. and they
came into our camp believing there
was no more ngnt1ng.
An hour after sheir arrival, and as
an answer to this bit of propaganda,
the big guns on u immediate front
were Smelling the Austrian positions.
Whenever our boys take v a Sec
tor of front line trenches they expect
immediate action. and are disappoint-
ed il 1t does not come. I slept the
other night In an old school house,
Y. M. c. A. headquarters at the third
CONTINUED on Page Column 81