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Show Rejection of Austrian Peace Not Conspicuously Displayed in Newspapers in Country. AMSTERDAM. Sept 17. Washington Washing-ton dispatches indicating the attitude of the American government to tho Austrian peace offer are conspicuously conspicuous-ly displayed in all German newspapers. newspap-ers. "This rejection of tho Vienna proposal pro-posal does not surprise us," says the semi-official Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung. "The Americans want to take the lead. Now, as before, the preach force, which is to lay Europe in ruins. We shall have to wait to see whether America's allies will allow themselves to become intoxicated with this doctrine of force, or whether there will be recognition of the fact that an interminably protracted war will lead Europe to ruin and loave only one claimant to the bankrupt estate." London Papers Approve. LONDON, Sept. IS.-The promptness prompt-ness as woll as the substance of President Presi-dent Wilson's reply to Austria -Hungary is approved by the London morning morn-ing papers. Even the pacifist Dailv News urges the allies to follow the American lead and endorse the points enunciated by President Wilson using the situation to drive the wedge Into Germany and her allies. The Times admires the promptitude of the reply as heartily as it agrees with the line taken by the president The Morning Post says that the answer an-swer is framed in the only terms which befit the occasion. The Daily Chronicle thinks that the allies cannot, fail to be influenced by President Wilson's example whlc makes it certain that they will reject re-ject the Austrian ' invitation. The Chronicle contends, however, that their position is different than America's Amer-ica's and that their. roply ought to be framed so as to carry a message of hope and not despair to the masses of Germany and Austria-Hungary. Austria Shows Weakness. ROME, Sept. 17. The Austrian peace proposal Is received here as an indication of the weakness of the central cen-tral powers. Popolo Romano says: "The Auslro-Hungarian note has been foreseen for some time. It is no surprise that Vienna should begin such music. However, let us not be deceived. deceiv-ed. Meanwhile, our soldiers are wait- ing along the Piave to liberate Italian soil with their arms." Messaggero says. "The first thing to be ascertained Is whether eithor the Austrians or the Germans really want peace, and if so. do both want tho same kind of peace. Are they ready to make peace, the principle of which admits the independence inde-pendence of peoples? We already know that both desire to go back to pre-war conditions with a few concessions conces-sions from Italy and France and a free hand in the Orient. Such a peace would be a most disastrous catastrophe catastro-phe for tho allies and the llbertv of Europe and the world. oo |