New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-12-28
Press of Austria-Hungary'7
Backs Policy of Archduke
and Count Berchtold.
TO LIMIT ARMAMENTS'""
IN MEDITERRANEAN
Germany and Italy Significantly
Silent on Subject-Britain
Declines Suggestion.
Icrom Tao Tribune Correspondent

Vienna. Dec. l6-The political press ot
the Dual Monarchy is still discussing the
results of the visit of the ArchdCke Fran
els Ferdinand to England. IL is stateo
here bv close friends Of Francis FerHlai
dinand that he and King George talksd oil
over the present and future relations OF
10th countries, and came TO an almost''
complete understanding 1t is admittsb
ON both sides that the interests Of Aus
tria Hungary and OF the British Empire
so far as they affect one another mututtTH
". completely harmonic, and that there
is no cloud threatening on the horizon.
The fact that the two countries are
members of opposite politlcal cohstena7 g.
lions. il is conceded. tends rather TO en-
nance than TO depreciate this state OF
things. Il Is further reported on eAce'7f
lent AUTHORITY that in this view both 81
Edward Grey ana Premier Asquith agree
most heartily, and that especially as 10
the Balkan situation and as 20 AUSTRIA
uunCary's deep and legitimate interest" q
that part OF the world Francis FERDINAND
Unmarried some secret information wh'cn
win hereafter staNe'y '".,ue".9 ~ $50
together sway British policy there.
Cautious Overtures Made. ,s..
I'm tho other hand, the news caoied 70
The Tribune three days ago TO the eh.S'
that the cautious overtures maze py tne
! archduke as to a possible Austro- bri'i'"
naval ARRANGEMENT IN the Mediterranoa"
ono of the pct ideas OF Count Bercu- be-
told and of the heir to the throne-"aso
NOT favorably received by the suidhs
British statesmen, although, apparenu!,
u seemed TO be but a response 10 WIZ
eton Churchil's own remarkable speech
of NOT long ago Francis Ferdinano >.
,e,der II is understood, was not speciHc
in the full sense of that word, but SUI
eciort,v so TO start with. The leading Idea
- h,s offer was for both countries TO sane
,ion a sort of mutual neutrality IN the hcu
iterranean. no matter what might happen
,bore in the future, and To come 10
binding bargain on both sides for sta'eo
number of years to confinc the na|Ai'f
strength Of each power in the Meoi'SiuiI
ranean TO a stated maximum. TINS pan
~ "a understood, originated in the htst
Mace with Count Berchtold and was ar
tarvard taken up, considered and ap-
, nroSed nv Francis Ferdinand (but not oE
h,e uncle the Emperor), Admiral Hausas
administrative chief of the Austro-Hun-s
roriar navy. and others. However, tho
nroiect did not find favor with the Brit p
ish Cabinet, the main reason, 1t seems
being that, inasmuch as Germany nao
NOT taken kindly to either Mr.. Churcn-
ills or Mr.. Lloyd Georges Ideas IN thih
respect. It would neither be feasible nos'.
! expedient to single out Austro-Hunsars'n
with her much smaller navy, for such Or
similar purpose. 5fys,
Naval Programme in Detail.
At the same time it deserves mention
| that a part at least OF the Austro-Hun
! parian press Is not at all satisfied WIN
what is tantamount to a British rejection
! of ,he archduke's overtures. Before the
| ZIMMERMAN and the Austrian "delega-"
,ions" Admiral Haus has detailed the no
| naval programme OF the monarchy TOT
some time 10 come, and this programme
| sIn,uIe and moderate enough, has been e
! annroved after an interesting debate oy
the representatives OF both halves OF the
empire. ,gQ.
! Briefly, It is that the navy shall CONSIST
of sixteen battleships, twelve cruisers,
tyenty-four large and seventy-two small
torpedo boats, twelve submarines, etS ,
In Mace of the twelve old-fashioned and
less powerful battleships still in service
there being but four new Dreadnoughs
as yep. as many 2S,O0o to 5000 ton Dread
noughts OF the latest type are to be ouit
! as rapidly as time and funds permit, the
discarded vessels constituting naVst
coast defence fleet in the Adriatic. .''
| . ,,,,Lo- OF the leading Journals both
IN Austria and Hungary, are now SUD-
stantlally reiterating the proposal carried
nv Francis Ferdinand to England. and
express a hope that IL will not be denim
itelv and altogether rejected by the Brit
ish government. To aid this press cam
paisn (began by the Vienna "TaSbiatt
the naval situation obtaining In the Ned
iterranean is laid bare, and IL is at
| tempted to show that there the British
and the Austro- Hungarian respective
naval strength is now about equal ana
! likely TO remain so. or course, the sadly
disorganized state OF Austro- Hungarian
! finances is not spoken of by the press
here i'm this connection, although II Is
precisely that i'm all probability which
makes the wish father TO the thought
| So far neither Germany nor Italy, Aus
| tria- Hungary's two allies. has been heard
from as TO how this proposition strikes
! them nor has the press of either nation
! taken cognizance OF the matter. = d.