The Washington herald., 1915-12-20
AUSTRIA AND PRUSSIA
QUARREL OVER POLAND
CONTINUED FROM PAGE oNk

fortune. to conquests which have through
out been incompatible with the nature
of things and the will OF peoples"
Canker of the Alliance 'Hesrt."
Setting aside all rumors about the
readiness Of Austria to conclude q
separate peace at the present time, which
ing bones Of contention between Austria
Hungary and Prussia are said by
British diplomatists to offer hope that,
when the day of military misfortune
dawns, the Teutenic Alliance may break
up from within.
First Austria's grievances against
Prussia will be considered. then Prussia's
complaints against her allies.
Ruling circles in both Austria and
Hungary are moping about Poland. They
assumed. until the middle Of last summer.
that Germany intended to turn Poland
over to a Hapsburg prince. and elaborate
plans were formed in Vienna for an
autonomous Polish state, including
Calicia, to be dependent upon the Dual
Empire. The disillusionment came when
a Bavarian prince was assigned the
honor of capturing Warsaw. Since that
time. Prussian administration has been
inaugurated throughout Poland, Austrian
Sarrisons have been withdrawn from
n1any Cltlts ds pIotSot oeohAcs
the German measures and 1t has been
made perfectly clear that the Kaiser
intends. II he can. to hold Poland for
the German Empire.
Put Blame on Frans Josef.
The upper classes. who control the
country. are indignant at the assumption
by the German general stan Of complete
control over the Austro-Hungarian ar
mics. and blame the aged Emperor for
having consented to such "humhia-
tion.' During the first six months OF
fighting, the Austro-Hungarian armies
fought without German help, and SUI
fered constant disaster. When the Rus
slams seized the Carpathian passes and
menaced the plains of Hungary. the Ger
mans took control OF the high command
of the armies fighting in the mountains
at the request of Count Tisza. the Hun
garian premier. That control has been
extended so that the officers. who spring
from the proudest nobility in the world.
find themselves forced to obey the orders
of Prussians. whom they consider their
social interiors. This Is causing q tur-
moil in the highest army circles.
Finally, It Is universally believed
among the people that the German COM
manders assign to Austrian troops the
most costly tasks and reserve for their
own men operations which result in ap-
parent brilliant victories. for which the
Germans get all the credit. but which
are really due to the fighting of the Aus
trians.
The Prussians, for their part, are said
to make small effort in private to con-
ceal their contempt for their allies
They contend that the crushing defeats
suffered by Austria at the beginning OF
the war spoiled the plans Of the Ger
man high command for strategical oper-
ations in the East which would have
forced Russia TO make peace q few
months after war began.
Prussians Claim All Credit.
The Austrian claims on Poland are
dismissed with the remark that the con-
quest OF Poland Is solely due to German
ever an Austrian army met the Russians
in the field. unaided by Germans, the
Germans say that 1t has been beaten.
Even during the great drive against the
Russians last summer there were several
occasions when the Germans had to de-
tach whole armies to save their weaker
allies from disaster.
When things begin to 90 badly with
Germany the censors will be unable to
bottle up longer what may after the war
be Germany's chief grievance against
IL SScIns 10 Ue Sstdp-
Iished that the German high command.
early last winter. intended to make its
greatest effort In the spring against the
allies on the Western front. When the
Russians seemed on the point of break
ing through into Hungary in February.
Count TisZa went to the Kaiser and told
him Hungary would not consent to be
sacrificed. and would make a separate
peace with Russia II Germany would pro-
tect her. The result was that the direc-
ton Of the German blow was changed. the
Russians driven out of Galicia and the
menace to Hungary removed.
Now that the Russian campaign Is at
without a decisive victory. the
Germans are beginning to blame Hun
gary for DETECTING the great blow of last
spring to the East. Russia, they say.
held out, but France could have been
crushed. the English army destroyed.
Paris captured and peace imposed II Hun
gary had been willing to endure a Rus
sian invasion while the weight of Mack
ensen's phalanx and Hindenberg's new
armies. the like of which the Germans
regretfully admit will not be seen again
in this war, fell upon and destroyed the
Western allies.