Tokyu, June 20.
Count Macchi de Cellere, the first Secretary to the Italian Embassy, challenged Mr. Wilfred Fleisher, managing editor of the "Tokyo Ad-dvertiser," to a duel with short swords today because of an editorial attacking Italy's entrance into the European war.
Mr. Fleisher said Count de Cellere visited his home and attempted to engage him in a fist fight. The Italian then challenged the editor to a duel with short swords unless he apologised within 24 hours for an editorial in this morning's "Advertiser" asserting that, Italy entered the European war merely to help divide the spoils.
An unidentified companion of the Italian dissuaded him from immediate violence, Mr. Fleisher said.
Mr. Fleisher reported the incident to the United States Embassy here which filed a protest at the Foreign Office.—United Press, Italian Sub Sunk
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.