The Detroit times., 1914-08-04
Will AUSTRIA'S
SERBS FIRE UPON
OWN KINSFOLK?
Franz Josef's Soldiers May Not
Prove Dependable In
Crisis
SOME PRIvATES CAN'T
UNDERSTAND OFFICERS
Interpreters Necessary to Com
municate Orders To Rank
and File
BY A Former OFFICER Of the Austrian
General stan

BY A Former OFFICER Of the Austrian
General stan
VIENNA. Aug. 3.-Tha present un-
pleasantness gives rise to fear that
Austria will have trouble with tn army
during the present trouble.
II is, indeed, one of the most ef-
fcient armies in Europe. and yet the
very fact that II is full Of Slavs may
result In disaster.
There are eleven different rationale
ties In the Austro-Hnngarian army;
Germans, Magyars, Italians. Rouman-
tsns, each speaking an absolutely dis
similar language, and the Slavic
groups, Czechs, Poles, Ruthenians, Slo-
yenes, Slovacks. Creations and Ser
VANS. all speaking different forms and
Sharp racial strife In the army has OF.
ten disastrous results.
All the non-Germanic nations rebel
Utterly against the constant govern
mental attempt to make Germans OF
them. and they have organized them
selves throughout the empire In stub
born resistance.
The maintenance OF German as the
official language Of command h hotly
resented by all these nationalities
AS the men composing the rank and
file generally know only their maternal
tongue. each regiment Is allowed, for
purposes OF instruction. In addition to
German. the tongue Of command, to
have its own especial language.
The comic and tragic confusion re-
sulting from this medley Of tongues
IA made wilder still by decree meant
to parry the dangers OF the natural ten
dc ncy of officers to seek the society OF
their co-nationals and be Influenced by
their ambitions and strifes. Regiment
al officers must be OF different ma
tionality from the soldiers they COM
mand.
Frequently officers and men cannot
understand each other and find 1t
necessary to use as interpreters nom
commissioner officers or even privates
who are naturally OF the same nation
atty as the troops and are, therefore,
II position in time of trouble to have
the superior officers more or less at
their mercy.
, The soldiers are apt to rebel at an
order to fire on their kinsfolk In sup
port Of q government to which they
are not over-loyal. II was found i'm
pc ssible.. for instance, TO move the
Czech. regiments against tho Czech
population to put down the riots in
Prague. On other occasions OF serious
local disorder the troops when ordered
to fire against those of their own race.
have discharged their rifles upward In
to the air, even when the populace
%ere pelting men and officers alike
with stones. furniture and everything
they could lay hands on.
In Prague a cavalry regiment Of
Czech Dragons sent to duell disturb
ances opened their ranks gEfto the
crowds and allowed the people to
swarm among them and disarm them.
In Bohemia, Croatia and elsewhere.
II Is not unusual to see soldiers refuse
to obey orders during time OF civil up
heaval, and even -fraternize with the
rioters under the very eyes OF their
officers who remain powerless.
During the war with Italy many ba-
tallions and whole garrisons OF pre-
dominating italian nationality, either
went over In block to the enemy
(their countrymsn) or laid down their
arms without lighting. Twenty thous-
and men broke their oaths and de.
serted their columns.
Ten years later at Magenta. out Of
an army Of $1,000 only 10000 troops
would fight.
In the last war with Germany, 10000
men In two days deliberately surren-
cered to the enemy. their brother-Ger-