Omaha daily bee., 1914-12-26
VIENNA STRONGLY FORTIFIED
Nine Lines Of Trenches Surround
Capital and More Are in Course
of Construction.
SUPPLIES STORED IN CARS
Ammunition and Food Are Kept in
Condition to Move Instantly.
FIVE MILLION CARTRIDGES DAY
Big Plant at Budapest Doubles Its
Chpacity-EiEht Hundred Thou
sand Men Are In Training
I'm Various Camps.

I I'm Various Camps.
! Correspondence OF Associated Press)
! VIENNA, Austria, Dec 9.--An early
peace is not looked for by the Austro--
Hungarian government. While no Off
cial statement to this effect has been
made. or for that matter would be made.
I the war measures now In hand and those
/ contemplated Indicate that a cessation Of
/ hostilitics In the near future is most un-
/ likely.
Military PREPARATIONS continue to be
/ made throughout the dual empire as
tho Associated Press correspondent was
able TO observe on recent trip over a
considerable part OF Austria and Hun
gary Along many OF the principal
lines in eastern and northern Hungary
military field works are being laid out
on a large scale and the two principal
cities OF the empire. Vienna and Buda-
| pest are being prepared for defense in a
like manner To the north and east of
Vienna no less than nine lines of defense
may be observed. and the field works of
Budapest are even more extensive. Some
of the entertainments, redoubts and ar
tlllcry emplaoements which constitute
these works were established some time
ago, to Judge by their settled appearance,
but more are being laid out. Thousands
OF men and large number of excavatina
machines are employed IN the further ex-
tension of these precautionary measures
supplies stored I'm Cars.
In addition to establishing field works
along the railroads. tho trackage OF many
yards Is being enlarged, and supplies
now are being stored In such a manner
that they may be used either for local
purposes or easily sent to a front further
out tho various bases supplying one an
other. The additional tracks have made
IL possible TO keep most OF the supplies
In the cars. so that at very short notice
they may be moved as the exigencles OF
the campaign demand.
The establishment of a large cholera
camp at Zsoina. or Silleln, as tho place
is called by the Germans, Is further
proof that the Austro-Iiungarian govern
ment does not count upon an early ter
pination OF the war The coming of win
/ ter has virtually eradicated cholera, and
[ II 10 altogether unlikely that this dread
disease. will reappear until the ground
is thawed. Nevertheless, the Austro-
Hungarian government is spending about
100000 on the Zsolna cholera camp, in
order that II may meet possible gem
eral epidemic next spring
Arrangements have been made for
doubling the capacity OF the ammunition
plants in the country. The largest OF
these. that of the Manfred Weiss con-
Germ at Budapest, has heretofore pro-
! duced more than 100000 rounds OF
small arms ammunition daily. This out
put has been increased considerably dur
ing the last three weeks, and IL is ex-
pected TO reach the enormous total OF
/ 100000 rounds per day. The same plant
is extending It's production OF artillery
ammunition, but no figures on what the
output has been in the past or will be
In the future are available Meanwhile
additional batteries OF various types of
guns are being made by the Skoda
works at Piisen, Bohemia. This firm also
has been gwen recently a large contract
for more machine guns.
Large Armies in Training.
All the larger Austro-Hungarian cities
have established drill camps. The largest
OF these is near Budapest, and there
some 10000 men are either being trained
3
hardships of extended service at the
front. Near Vienna about $1,000 mon
are being trained. and there are similar
camps at Graz, Prague Pressburg,
Temesvar, Debreczln, Kausenburg.
Klagenfurt. Brunn, olmutz, Linz, Agram
and other cities. II Is said that these en-
campments contain at present more than
1000 men, many of whom would have
% Ha
this fall and during 1915. Among these
reserves also Is large number OF vol
unteers ana levies of olden landwehr
Though the government has seen fit to
keep this news from the foreign and even
the home press. It Is fact that re-
Gently a monitor OF more powerful type
than the Bodrog class has been put in
commission and that another OF these
vessels Is now being finished in the Blu
dapest government yards. Il Is under
stood that two other monitors OF this
tyre are nearing completion, and that
the keels for number of others have
been laid. Work on them Is being rushed
The new monitors have double. the
armament OF the BodrOg and Temes class
I They are armed with three. instead OF
two, long range guns and these are of
slightly larger caliber than those in
stalled on the Bodrog, Moreover the
thickness OF the turret armor has been
materially increased. Instead OF carry
! INK one high angle piece. as do the mon.
itors OF the older class, the new vessels
viii be armed with two, In half turrets
aft, while the quick fire pieces on the
upper deck viii be increased from two
TO four. and the machine guns from one
to six II Is believed that this fleet will
he an important factor I'm the defense OF
the Danube and Save rivers.
Conserving Food supply.
! In common with the German govern
ment that OF Hungary has taken
every measure necessary 10 conserve the
military resources OF the country, The
most important feature OF this Is reduc-
ton OF the area formerly given to the
growing OF sugar beets Such lands hay,
been sown with winter wheat and rye.
There seems 10 be no shortage in the
chemical and metal supplies needed In
war The correspondent OF the Associated