THE CAMPAIGNS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17935, 31 October 1918, Page 4

THE CAMPAIGNS.

The news concerning the diplomatic conversations in Europe is entirely unofficial. The Allied. Council at Versailles has not concluded its deliberations, and rather obviously the belf;* T ligerents are marking time politically, • though the war goes on in the field. There is a report from Basel that Aus-

tria has sent a supplementary Note to

the American State Secretary empha- ' sising her desire for an. armistice and her anxiety to open peace negotiations, but it adds nothing to what has already been published. That Austria has formally requested an armistice, and that the Allies aro considering tile con-

ditions on which ifc should be granted ■j may bo gathered from the messages, ‘ • and it is probable that the conditions on which Germany would bo granted an armistice aro also under discussion. Clearly, until the Allies hare come to a decision, there will he no important development, unless, indeed, Austria becomes impatient and surrenders unconditionally. The Italian offensive has been timod, obviously, with a, view to hastening her deliberations. Yesterday it was reported that the enemy divisions on the I’iave betrayed no weakening of morale, but the later official messages encourage the hope that a definite break may be made in the Austrian front and that the evacuation of Italian territory may ho accelerated. ( It is now stated that tho German promise to cease the destruction of private property in the evacunted districts of France and Belgium la being observed, and that enemy submarines have suspended attacks on passenger steamers, so that there is at least some positive evidence of the German anxiety to clear the way for diplomatic conversations, and although the cable messages afford no indication on the point it is well within the bounds of possibility that a new German proposition has been submitted to the Allies through a neutral channel. Public opinion in the Allied countries, however, shows no weakening. The demand is still for the unconditional surrender of the enemy, and British opinion is emphatically expressed that ’ tho authors of crimes perpetrated during tho war period ought to be brought to trial, that a strict investigation of the rfesponsibility for tho ill-treatment of prisoners of war ought to ho conducted and that all Allied prisoners in Germany ought immediately to be repatriated. Tho danger, however, :in fcsgftns to such Investigations is that tho punishment will fall on tho brutal Individuals and not on the high officers who ordered or tolerated the abuses. 'Dio Italian offensive is now making good progress, the Austrians having been cleared from some five and twenty miles of the left bank of the Piave, and v he British ir. the centre of tho battle-

front have deeply penetrated the enemy’s positions. The prospects in this theatro are most enooumging. In Frano? thoro has been no fresh movement of importance on tho British front, but tho French in tho centre continue their advance, and they are noiv closing on Guise.