The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-20
Italians Refuse To Consider
Prefer From Germany.
France and Serbia Also Were
Urged To Turn Traitors.
ALLIES ARE MORE CONFIDENT
Conference in London Shows
They Are All United.
Italy Win Be Given All the
Assistance She Needs.
By JOHN McHuGH STUART.

BY JOHN McHUGH STUART.
Washington. March 20--Italy has
spurned a new and tempting peace
offe- from Austria and Germany.
This fact was officially confirmed
in diplomatic information reaching
Washington Tuesday. It formed one
of the principal bases of the success
of the just concluded meeting of the
inter-a1lied war council in London.
According to diplomatic advices re-
ceive4 here today the results of the
war council, upon which it issued a
new defiance to the central powers
and a new pledge to fight for victory,
may be summed up as follows:
F'irst-West of Suez. the allied line
is firm in political and military
sense. Every possible military dis
position to meet-and in some in
stances to more than meet-a Ger
man offensive has been efficiently
made.
Second-East of Suez, the German
menace is recognized as for the pres
emit remote. Tho the entente states
men are reported to have been unani-
mously in favor of Japanese interven-
ton in Siberia, they are also reported
as willing to await the crystalliZa-
ton of events in Russia and a posi-
BILE change of the attitude of the
United States before taking actual
measures to meet the German ad-
vance with the help of Japan.
To Give Italy Aid.
The decisions of the council with
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
Germany on the west. With the full
cooperation of Italy, steps have been
taken to help her meet the great
=, av><lxy lair Of
which fresh evidences have developed
within the last few days.
The peace offer to Italy is under
stood to have been of the most gen.
erous nature and to have come from
direct official source. 1t was
promptly rejected by Italy. however,
as only a 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 and recently received here.
was recognized as a menace to effect
i've Italian cooperation in the war.
Should the Germans reach Brescia it
was recognized that even if Italy con-
tinued to fight. as Premier Orlando
little more effective than that of Ser
bia and Rumania.
Tried to Bait France.
Similar tenders of peace. accompan-
led by threats of a drive, were report
ed at the council to have been made
| to Serbia, and even to France. Not
only were all rejected, but according
to the reports here, the delegates to
the council left assured of the fact
that ample military provision has been
taken to meet every possible military
threat.
So satisfying were the military dis
positions reported at the council that
the food question has again come to
the fore.
England. according to reports, is
fairly well off for food. especially
meat. France. as shown by Captain
Tardieu, is in desperate need of GER
eals. The plight of Italy is even more
desperate. 1t is this condition, it is
believed, which prompted England
and the United States to insist on
haste in the acquisition of avaiIa BILE
ton that might be interpreted as hos
tile to Holland
But hostile developments in Hol-
land and Scandinavia are also under
stood to have been amply discounted
at the inter-allied war council
Should Germany force Holland or
any other of the northern neutrals
INTO actual hostilities, and officials
mere make it plain that only German
action can do this in view of the
friendly provisions made by the
United States and the allies, Germany
viii be the chief sufferer.
1t may be stated on high authority
that Germany all along has been wor-
RED over the possibility of participa-
ton in the war by the northern neu-
trails and that England for months
mas taken full advantage of this feel
ing in Germany