Evening star., 1918-05-31
Presidents Message to Italy
GarbIed and Circulated in
That Country.
GREETINGS SENT FRANCE,
NOT ITALY, WAS CLAIMED
Propaganda Believed Prompted by
Conditions in Austria, Which
Bar Offensive.

A new and brazen form of German
propaganda, designed to destroy the
confidence Of the allies in the United
States, is disclosed in dispatches re-
ceived here today.
1t consisted of the publication in
German organ of the kaiser, tho
Deutsche Tages Zeitung, Of an article
to the effect that the recent message
Of President Wilson to Italy had not
been to Italy at all, but to France.
but that the Italian government had
substituted "Italy" and italian"
wherever the words France" or
"French" had occurred.
Paper Widely Circulated.
Thousands Of copies Of this paper then
were circulated in France and in Italy.
and in the latter country special effort
was made to drop copies among troops
all along the Italian front. and also in
cities near enough to be reached by the
enemy's aeroplanes
An explanation Of a reason for this
desperate measure is suggested in ad-
vices through other channels today that
internal conditions in Austria are so bad
just now that the proposed Austrian Of
fensive has been abandoned for the time
being. and there is probability that
Italy may assume an offensive on her
own account il such action meets the
approval Of Gen. Foch.
Might Start Revolution.
Italian leaders and Italian papers
an Italian offensive at this time, II It
is undertaken. and the opinion 10
widely held. according to news dis
patches from Italy. that stroke
against Austria would break the mill
tary power there. which is holding
restive groups In subsection. and re-
lease the revolutionary elements in
The dispatch quotes the falsided
statement OF the Deutsche Tages Zei-
tung. contained in the issue of May "a.
as follows:
According to news received from
the French and Italian frontiers 1t
appears that there was great unrest
in those two countries and that the
governments. in order to calm the
populations, offered the people MI.
Wilson's message as a soothing rem
cay WHICH was given "luc puolAClly
in Italy after introducing arbitrarily
sentences. changes and substitutions.
Instead of the people Of the
United States are glad to find them
selves associated in the same cause
with the Italian people the original
text says: The people of the United
States are glad to find themselves as
sociated in the same cause with the
French people
Another Change in Text.
ALSO instead of the people Of the
United States have looked with pro-
found interest and sympathy upon
the efforts and sacrifices Of Italy the
original text says: The people of the
United States have looked with pro-
found interest and sympathy upon
the efforts and sacrifices Of France"
Dispatches received here from Italy
say that this Berlin emanation was
received with ridicule by both the
Italian soldiers and civilians, who
realized that 1t was unthinkable that
their government would tamper with
an official statement of the head OF an
allied nation.
But it was pointed out, the effect
of such propaganda among troops
about to strike a decisive blow, who
had not confidence i'll their govern
ment or who were discouraged. could
easily be seen.