New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-27
VIENNA CALM AND
SURE OF VICTORY
Less War Excitement
Along Ring Promenade
than on Park Row.
NO FEAR FELT OVER
RUSSIAN INVASION
Plan of Campaign to Give
Battle Only When Outnum-
bered Two to One.


Vienna. Dec. lin an effort 20
learn the truth about Austria ! ran
over from Berlin, expecting either to
be in at the death and perhaps be an
eyewitness OF the disintegration of the
"tottering polyglot empire" or to find
mighty nation clad in shining
armor" (only less shiny than that OF
its big mother, Germany, according as
one had been looking through Anglo
Russian or Austro- German colored
newspaper spectacles.
Neither was found. The first i'm
preston was that Vienna was probably
the most puzzling war capital OF Eu-
rope. Gay il certainly is not, nor even
make believe gay; for while the opera,
the theatres, and cafes are still run
ming full blast, practically all the
younger men, including the bulk OF the
"spenders," are in the field, and men
and money are the sine qua non OF
gayety, as Of war. But apart from the
far-famed might life" everything
looks normal on the surface. One would
never suspect that fighting was gong
on anywhere In the vicinity. NO
leather-lunged ncwsboys shout extras;
there are no crowds around the news
BOYS; there is no war fever or even
enthusiasm. There is-if one may judge
from photographs-more war interest
and excitement around The Tribune
Building than along the whole OF the
famous Ring Promenade.
In Berlin the whole city is bright
with flags five minutes after the GOOD
news bulletin is received telling OF
10000 Russians prisoners; bur IN
Vienna there was no noticeable hutter-
ing of flags when the news came that
the Servians were at last ION the run.
The exclamation of the pulling psy-
chology of the Viennese is not apathy,
however. but a comfortable confidence
that the worst is not TO come and that
there is absolutely nothing to be wor-
ried about. The bourgeoisie of Vienna
continue TO sip their coffee in favorlto
cafes. consume and read the papers,
refusing to be scared or otherwise
iolted out of the comfortable habits CT
lifetime.
Real Fighting Spirit Found.
Among the soldiers and officers, how
ever. and the landed aristocracy, ana III
the small towns and villages, espe-
cially in the Tyrol, found the real tnlng
in the way of fighting spirit, partcu-
larry among the fiery Hungarian troops
and the Jaeger regiments OF the Keen
eyed Tyrolean chamols hunters-the
backbone of Austria's stubborn de-
fence, according to well posted Amer,
lean resident. Wounded othcers and
soldiers with whom | talked had one
common desire-to get back into the
game again and help stop the Russian
mass play.
One typical case will particularly IN
terest the music-loving readers OF Inc
Tribune. An American woman called
on the ccnvalescent violinist Kreisler,
who had put away his Stradivarius IN
favor of cavalry sabre. She brought
back news that the famous virtuoso
was dreaming not of fat New York box
Office receipts, but Of getting "a second
hack at the hated Russians.
A competent American diplomat, VINO
must not be more closely described for
fear of "reprisals" on Mr. BTyan's part,
summed up the situation as follows:
ats RusSias ball on Austria's 40
ward line, but the Austrians aren't
worrying about their scoring touch
down; in fact, they probably won't gam
another inch. The Austrians are recon
ciled to the temporary loss of Gahcia,
knowing they can put up stonewall
defence along the line Of the Carpa-
thians. and relying on Germany 20
clean up the Russians in Poland. There
are many Austrians who privately do
not consider Turkeys entrance on I'M
mixed blessing. Servia is about all IN.
Bulgaria will almost certainly come IN
on the side Of Turkey, while Rumania
will continue its neutrality"
Rumania Not i'm Balkans.
NV informant based his opinion as to
the future "standpatism" OF Rumania
partly on the fact that the Rumanians
are a prosperous, peace-lOving, agrl-
cultural people. with nothing to gain
by war, and partly on the theory that
Rumania does not consider itself a
Balkan State at ALL but a European
power, and he told the following anec-
dote about King Ferdinand as having an
Illuminating bearing on Rumania's
course under the new ruler:
ain the spring of 1908 the then
Crown Prince Ferdinand and an Amer
lean who is as much at home OH the
Ring as on Broadway were partners
in game of bridge at fashionable
Vienna cafe. The American happened
to voice some platitude about the
troubled Balkans, whereupon the
future ruler Of Rumania made the
significant remark: "'When you speak
Of the Balkans you mean Bulgaria. d"