The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-24
Wants Merchants to Of
fer Easy and Well
Paid Positions.
IDEA is GREETED
WITH DERISION
Official Not Expected to Hold
Office Long After This Sad
Initial Blunder, Which Seri-
ously Displeases Kaiser.
Political Events in Aus
tria Closely Watched.
BY FREDERICK WERNER.

Berlin. August 23.-Thc German |
Michel is certainly a very patient and
long suffering person, and so great is
his docility that 1t is not 10 be won
Gcrcd that our rulers have come to
the conclusion that there is no end to
his patience. Our new Minister of War. |
however, went little nit too far when
he expressed the opinion the other day
that German merchants should be
proud to offer easy and we'll paid posi-
tons to army officers whose days of |
military usefulness had passed but |
who could not be expected to live In |
The style BETTING their rank on their |
pension.
The minister's idea, the only one he
has had SO far by the way. since he
took up office, has been greeted with |
cerision. Our merchants n whole !
lind that they contribute even now
TAR more than their share towards the (
maintenance of the army. and probably |
lao persons are less fit to fill CONNER
cial positions than our officers. whose |
connection with the mercantile world |
has hitherto been limited to seeking /
out and marrying the daughters OF mer- |
chants rich enough to pay their debts. |
1t is pretty safe to prophesy that !
cur present Minister of War will not |
continue long in Office after this sad |
INITIAL blunder, which has seriously dis !
pleased the Kaiser, because. it has |
placed retired officers before the public |
as beggars to be saved from the poor !
house by the very people whom they |
are in the habit of insulting every day. |
and because ii has given the press, or |
NJ least part of it, a most welcome op-
portunity to tell what the man in the !
street thinks Of the character and ca
pacities of our naughty officers.
DiriGfblc Not Successful.
with evident iOV MT
tary press is announcing that the |
French military dirsible "Spiesz" !
which ii had been hoped in France
would prove itself equal if not SUI
pcrior TO the German Zeppelns. is an
absolute failure. There is feeling
Of general relief in military circles
here that France has evidently failed |
to make full use of the opportunity
TO discover the secrets of the con-
struction of our Zeppclins when one
of the big dirigibles some months ago
made an involuntarily descent on
French parade grounds
Events In Austria.
With considerable anxiety German |
statesmen are watching political events /
in Austria, our principal ally, for evil
IDENTIFY things are not going very we'll !
politically in the dual monarchy |
whose weakness is chiefly to be sought
in the mutual hatred OF the many ma
tionaltics OF which ii consists Barely /
week passes without the discovery OF /
a new weak spot in Austrian armor
Tha absolute failure Of Austria's |
policy in the Balkan during the recent |
crisis was generally attributed to the
regard which the central government, |
was forced to show the Southern
SiaVs in the empire. who were in a |
state of dangerous political fermenta-
ton But II now appears that condi- |
lions in the northern part OF the en-
plre are almost as bad
The experiment of home rule I'm !
Bohemia is proving a complete failure.
The province is absolutely bankrupt |
politically and financially For I'VE
years the Germans in Bohemia have
stayed away from the Bohemian Land !
tag in order to incapacitate il and
prevent the Czechs from getting the
upper hand. AS a result it has beer
Impossible to carry through any laws
of taxation. and now the treasury is
empty. The whole province has been
placed under administration of com
mission consisting of five Czechs and
tnrce Germans. presided ovar by a
Count Schoenborn, large landed pro-
prictor OF German origin, belonging TO
the class which in Austria is the most
insidious enemy of the German cause.
The only efficient remedy would be
TO divide the country into two parts.
but this it is safe to predict. Austria
VIII not do under the present yelled
form OF semi-autocratic government
AS long as things are not yet def
n!tely settled in the Balkans and all
interest is focused in that direction
the domestic misery may be hidden.
but III few months revelations must
come which Will startle Europe, while
they will not surprise German states
men who have kept an eye on condi.
tons in Austria
Germany cannot. OF course. inter
fere direct in purely Austrian affairs
! nut nj the same time 1t cannot AFFORD
! 10 close its eyes TO the mischief which