The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-11-11
Daily Ea9Ie
NJ. NJ MURDOCH. Editor.
THE MUSS IN AUSTRIA

The political fabric known as Austria
Hungary is a crazy patchwork of such
fragile construction that the success
with which the monarchy has withstood
determined attacks from without and
the fncessant storms raging within It's
borders has been the cause of astonish-
ment not unmixed with admiration for
fhe skillful craftsmanship of Austrian
and Hungarian politicians. A Crisis
seems TO have been reached in the al
fairs of the Tapsburg empire, however,
which threatens the disruption or the
frail structure. The game OF setting Oh
the nations that owe allegiance TO me
Kaiser-Koenig one against the other,
which has been played with such con-
summate skill, has come to an END. Inc
limit of compromise has been reached,
and the game cannot go on because tue
players have exhausted their stakes.
Eliminating the less important phases
of the war of races in AuStro-Hungary,
the struggle within the empire resolves
Itself into two main contentious, which
are, however, intimately interrelated.
In the Cis-Leithan, or Austrian half OF
The dual monarchy, there is an uncom-
nrornIsable contest for supremacy be-
between Germans and Slavs- Germans
are the most numerous single race, anu
by tradition and in virtue of superior
wealth and education the leading race
in the monarchy. Collectively, however,
the Sclavic Czechs, Poles and SloVachs
outnumber the Germans. Whle lhe
German minority in the Austrian reich
stag has not the power to rule II, At has
discovered its ability to ruin And The
pandemonium which the Germans have
raised in the reichstag, resulting IN the
practical breakdown of parliamentary
government, shows to what length they
are willing to 90 in their work of de-
struction. If they cannot dominate IN
half German. half-Czech Bohemia, they
are bound that nobody else shall-least
Of all the hated Czechs.
The deadlock in the Austrian reichs-
raih might be broken by the Kaiser
Koenig if he should avail himself Of the
power reserved to him by the Austrian
constitution, dispense with his parlia-
ment and govern the Cis-Lefthan half
of his empire automatically. Here,
however he would be met by another
difficulty no less serious than the one he
could thus remove. The "Ausgleich,
or compromise between Austria and
Hungary, which was evolved in 1867 by
the genius Of Count Won Buest, Will
come to an end unless it shall be re-
newed in December next This Aus
gleich is the sole Igament by which the
two halves Of the dual monarchy are
held together. 1t provides for the COM
mon defense Of the empire and its com
mercial solidarity and the creation of
ministry for the direction of Austro-
Hungarian relations with foreign coun-
tres The lower house of the Hun
garan parliament has already passed an
act for the renewal OF the Ausgleich,
and the house of magnates will, of
course, make no opposition to the enact
ment 1t IS part of the rule-or-ruin poll
cy Of the Germans in the Austrian half
of the empire not TO permit bill to con-
tinue the Ausgleich 10 pass the Austrian
reiGhsrath. On the other hand, if Franz
Josef should dismiss the reichSrath and
offer to renew the compact with Hun
gary in the name Of Austria on his own
autocratic responsibility there is reason
to believe that the measure would not
he ratified by the Hungarians. The Rad
icals Of Hungary. under the leadership
of the younger Kossuth, have annOunc-
ed their determination TO fight to the
death any bargain between the Hun
garian parliament and Austria in the
making of which the Austrian reichS-
rath had not co-operated. And the fol
lowers of Kossuth are numerous enough
in the Hungarian parliament to make
their word god by obstructive tactics.
The situation thus created seems 10
defy a settlement. What the outcome
viii be nobody can foresee. The solu-
tion of the problem may involve a con-
vulsion that would include the whole of
central Europe, and the Balkan PENN
sula besides.
POKER NO LONGER POPULAR.