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Show MUCH INTEREST IN WASHINGTON Washington. May 20 -Tntens intcr. est prevailed today amonz government offinals and the large hody Qf foreign diplomatists on receipt of advices that war between Austria and Italy was I notr Inevitable. Some officials' dis-patehes dis-patehes f,-om Rome predicted an act-ual act-ual declaration of war before the end Of this week The collapse of the triple alliance now officially confirmed In th Italian green book, and the prosppptive spread of the war to new battlefields and seas, it was even-where recojmiaed foreshadows further eonfusion and on' tanclement of the international rela-tions rela-tions of the European powers the political po-litical effect of which on the' map of the world, and the alliances and en tente of the future, q iC8e p3iniQKu than ever before. Only In the possiKle effect In Berlin I on the tenor of the German answer to the recent American note was there 1 a direct interest for the Tmited States In the Austro Italian developments" ! Some officials believed the value of the public opinion of the most power-fill power-fill neutral remaining would be an important im-portant influence toward a most friendly friend-ly reply, while others thought the cut-'ing cut-'ing off of supplies through the Medi ternean would cause the German admiraltv to permit little restriction In the activities of submarines. Officials Silent. Tn executive quarters alienee was maintained toward (he situation. The certain exodns from the dimin ishlng family of neutrals of a powerful power-ful nation, with the posslhllitv that as a consequence of expected territorial adjustments in the Balkans Roumania, Bulgaria and Greece might be drawn inlr the rnnflinf mrorrVnnn-d nil else. Italy's action was not unexpected in ! high official quarters. The United States has been kept closely informed of developments as the parleys at VI enna and Rome have progressed As early as three weeks ago such advices were received, tellinb of the denunciation denunci-ation of articles in the triple alliance, predicted the failure of the negotla- ; tionf? and the certain entrance of Italy It-aly into the war. From official s nrrps It also was learned 'hat Italy's aspirations politic I ally and territorlall- found a more gen. erous response in the plans the allies have laid for a reconstruction of the I map of Europe In the event of victory than were granted In proposed Austrian Aus-trian concessions requiring tab to ! remain neutral Italy is said to have j believed her opportunity to establish ! herself in Albania and Trieste, thu giving ner coniioi oi me .Aanauc, I couid be more surelv accomplished j through co-operation with the allies rather than with the Austro-German cause Possible Extension. J For several weeks official informa-t informa-t tion reaching here has given the impression im-pression in high executive quarters that Rumania would follow Italy's lead i or that some alliance or agreement to that effect had long existed In Austro-German quarters, however, how-ever, belief prevails that Bulgaria, equipped with a German war loan and 1 aspiring to seize the first opportunity j to regain the territory lost by the Ru charlst treaty, would either hold the j nrm of Rumania in check or compel i that country to maintain the status quo of neutrality De elonments in Greece, It Is. rhought in many quarters, may still further complicate the situation in the Balkans, for In the event of the I death of King Constaniine who is now 111. some diplomatists think Greece I would Join the allies. What effect thi I would hae on the attitude of Bui garia or Rumania, they Bay, scarcely can bp predicted with any reasonable certainty It is not believed the situation situa-tion in Rumania or Bulgaria will be clarified for some time after Italy's operations have begun. U. S An Onlooker In the midst of these critical events In southern Europe, the position of the United States is that of an on!ook?r j Both V ust i i i and Italy have asked tpe American eml..ssies in Rome and VI- j enna. respeetvel. to care for their diplomatic interests. A proclamation I of neutrality similar to those made by the United states early in the war will be issued in the natural course ot eents American shippers will be I confronted with a new contraband list. Italian vessels sailing from American I ports will be scrutinized by collectors i of the ports as beligerent ships From a miitary point of view, the trend of events has aroused wide i spread interest among army and navy officers Some professed belief that for the present Austria had massed a large enough number of men to meet the first line of Italian troops and to delay important operations for some time. Naval officers thoueht the out ' break of war between Italy and Aus- tria immediately would release the French Adriatic fleet for service at the Dardanelles, as the Italian navy probably prob-ably would be given control of the sit. uatlon in the Adriatic. It is taken for granted that a state ! of w ar betw een Italy and Turkey will follow soon Consequently, much speculation spec-ulation i6 'ieard upon the political effect ef-fect of Italy's enlistment with the allies al-lies on the future of the Dardanelles, the Rosphonis and Black sea ports, and the possibility that out of It might come a proposal to neutralize these straits, with Constantinople as a neutral neut-ral city under joint protection of Great Rritain, France, Russia and Italy. oo |