Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-12-15
Moral Effect Of Beating by Lit
tie SerVia Worse Then If
Done by Russia
FEELING OF DESPAIR
BECOMES GENERAL
Hungarians Bitter Against
Germans---Think They Are
Badly Treated
(By j. W. T. Mason, former London

Wy u W. IL MASON, former London
Correspondent for United Press.)
New York, Dec. l5.-The Servians
recapture of Belgrade from the Aus.
trians, reported in Nish dispatch tu
London Monday night, constitutes a
climax to a recent accumulation Of
mysteries in connection with Austria.
Hungary's military record since the
outbreak OF the present European war.
Among the belligerents, however,
there must be someone Ia show first
signs Of exhaustion and there are in.
dieations that Austria.H Hungary is that
one.
1t is natural to assume that the in.
exphcable collapse of the Austrians'
offensive in Seryia must produce a de.
gree of despair throughout the Hans,
burg empire in proportion to the su.
preme delight which was manifested
fortnight ago, when it was supposed the
Seryians had been completely crushed.
The moral effect of the blow in.
tlieted by little Servia S success will
assuredly be far greater too. than
would a defeat by the czar's mighty
army, even though the latter were at
Austria s territorial expense.
A Question of Terms Only.
From many different and indepen.
dent sources comes evidence that Aus
tria-Hungary is almost prepared to cry
quits ON any reasonable terms.
The probabilities are that nothing
but victory over the Russians or
fresh successes in Servia will serve TO
stop the growth throughout Austria.
Hungary of the present dissatisfaction
with the war.
If it can do so by any means which
do not involve actual disaster in Gal.
lcla, the Vienna general staff undoubt.
edly will attempt another concentra.
tin against the Servians,
Should it find itself unable TO do
this and in case the Slavs should cap.
ture Pr2emysl and Cracow, there are
many indications that a formidable
movement would manifest itself at once
throughout the empire in favor of the
re'estabisnment of separate peace
Even lesser disaster might bring
about such q situation.
This may not be true, but the devel.
opment Of anti.German feeling in Hun.
gary is serious matter whether its
basis is sound or not.
Such sentiment is naturally accen.
tuated by the Berlin war office s ad.
verse criticism Of Austria IS military op
erations referred to in this column Mon.
day.
Huns Are Bitter.
Certainly there is much discomfort
among the empires non.German sub
leets, VINO constitute IS per cent of
its population in their ranks, it is
evident the belief is spreading that the
ustro.Hungarian forces are not being
used to defend their own land but have
been requisitioned by Germany to pre-.
vent a Slay invasion of that country.
The Hungarans, in particular are un.
questionably very bitter against the
Germans.
With Golicia largely in Russian
hands and the Slavs operating, too, in |
northern Hungary, this resentment is
easy to understand. Matters have not
been improved by a report in circula.
tion at Budapest to the effect that ef. |
forts to induce the German ruler to pay
more attention to he defense Of Austro.
Hungarian crrritory nave been severely
rcbuked by him.
Even the Austrian disaster in Ser.
via is being attributed TO the German
general staff, the ITungalians declar.
ing that so many Austro. Hungarian
troops were withdrawn from there in
Gormauy's interest as to enable the
servians to defeat those who remained.