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Show Sfliii hoops joi toms Defection Said to Explain the Delay of Long-Heralded Offensive. LONDON, May 2. The Dally Mail's correspondent at Italian headquarters says that Bohemian troops are joining the Italian troops against Austria, and that the first detachments are already on the Italian fighting line wearing Italian uniforms. uni-forms. , The detachments belonged to a Czechoslovak Czecho-slovak army which Is being formed in many centers from former subjects of Emperor Charles. They already occupy positions at various points. It Is known, adds the correspondent of the Daily Mail, that their arrival already has caused perturbation among the Aus-tro-Hungarian commanders, who fear the effect on their Slav troops. Now that tho enemy Slav troops know their fellow Slavs are fighting under the Italian banner ban-ner in complete accord with the Italians and with a definite programme of winning win-ning absolute independence for their common com-mon country, their whole attitude toward the war, he adds, may undergo an important im-portant change. The new position of affairs is being explained adequately to them by airplane propaganda and committees of their own race are accredited to and co-operating with the Italian command. This information has passed through the hands of both Italian and British censors arid would therefore appear to be authentic. The defection of the Bohemians Bo-hemians would in a measure explain the delay in the proposed great offensive, long heralded, of the Austrians against the Italians. Prague, capital of the crown land of Bohemia, recently has been the center of riotous demonstrations against Germany and the Germans. The Austro-Hungarian foreign minister. Count Czemin, has been strongly denounced, and President Wilson and the entente allies have been cheered. The Czech members of parliament, together to-gether with the Slovene and Serbo-Croat delegates, have been leaders in the opposition oppo-sition to eCJrman rule. |