The Washington herald., 1915-02-14
new WAR FORCE
AUSTRIA'S DREAM
Would Drag France to Other
Side, American
Says.
R0UMANIA IS A MENACE
Looking Toward Transylvania and
Her Rich Products
Further Peace Payment.
ROUMANIA IS A MENACE
scial Gable to The Washington Herald.


Special Gable to Tie Washington Herald
London, Feb. l3.-An American who has
just returned from Austro-Hungary says
Il is Cnly necessary for one to stay there
a few days to see plainly that the inhab-
Iitants are thoroughly sick and tired of
the waT-men, women, and children, high
and low. rich and poor. This observer
gave an interview on condition that he
remain anonymous.
As the Austrians look back to those
first days in August, when. with an
enthusiasm amounting to positive frenzy.
they declared war on little Serbia; bands
banging through the streets, Orchestras
on the sidewalks wildly fddling men
Yelling, boys throwing hats in air-as
they look back over that turbulent scene.
they find in the cold gray dawn of reality
much solid food for thought he said.
To add to the difficulty-One which
Austria never really thought seriously of
-thcns * ROumania. who has not been at
all kind Of late. Last summer she
lserved notice on her western neighbor
that the price of peace Gas GqOc0OUO
Austria protested wildly, but finally gave
$40,OC.COJ on account. which. however.
did not make much difference, because
1t was borrowed from the Emperor WILL
last ten Gays, ROumania has been press
ing her claim for the remaining 900
in a manner most distressing to Hun
gary.
Looking Toward TrnnsyIVania.
In short. Roumania is thinking very
seriously Of taking TTunsyiN ania Great
quantities Of natural gas, silver, coal.
and petrol have lately been developed
there. which may possibly have some
thing TO do with the idea, but that, of
coLrse is a detail. ROumania neverthe-
less has become very annoying
But the perpleXing feature OF the
whole matter from the standpoint here.
seems TO be that the bloody piece of
machinery that they were so easily able
to set in motion last August will not
stop running now-it keeps wildly rum
ming on.
Every Austrian officer | have talked TO
has been loud and outspoken in the
cause of peace. One cavalry captain.
whom | met on the train leaving Vienna,
frankly admitted he had seen enough.
He was then on his way to St. Moritz.
where his wife had villa. and where
he expected to spend the winter. His
place had been filled by German
officer. as was thu case with many others
AS TO the Austrian as a soldier, il
can be said that, leaving out his Off
| ISIS' He SlaItS even with the best
! European armies. His equipment is
good. He wears a warm gray uni
form similar to the German, only
without the headgear, stout boots, and
| short leggings. He carries on his
| back a tirst-rate kit, and his rifle Is
good. The bayOnet, although not as
| good as the British, is. in my opinion,
far better than the French. The Rus
| sian bayOnet, on the other hand, is
| ND in he An
trian soldier will obey orders. but his
officers, for the most part, know lit
i tie concerning the art of war.
Peasants Make Poor Soldiers.
The Hungarian peasants. on the
other hand, especially those from the
| east, are no more fitted to be soldiers
than are school children. They have
not the vaguest notion concerning the
simplest use of the rifle. and fall silly
victims to the most obvious tricks OF
the enemy.
Time after time they have allowed
| hostile troops TO ride close in on
their outlying detachments, sometimes
dressed as Austrian soldiers carrying
friendly flags, and on occasions even
| disguised as women. An ill-concealed
machine gun, which should have fooled
no one, then opens its deadly stream
upon the surprised soldiers, who in
variably rush into assembly, when the
real carnage takes place. The Hun
garian is of too trusting a nature,
even to make 4 good warrior.
|. There have been no operations
against Serbia of any Importance for
some time. Notwithstanding press dis
patches TO the contrary fhc forces
in the south have been brought north
to strengthen HindenburE's lines. So
Serbia is practically at peace. while
Austria is at war. And that is what
| hurts.
In this dark hour Austria sees only
one ray of hope. and, curiously enough
that ray is France. Germany has proved
her undoing. and Italy is drifting farther
| away each day. There Is no one else TO
turn to. This idea is not OF the street,
but comes from the higher places; of
that | am sure. Repeatedly during my
| travels through Austria lately I have
been sounded by not unimportant officials
as TO my feeling concerning the French
| contingent At first I was inclined 20
treat the matter lightly. but find that
they really consider the idea as quito
possible. Austria. France and Germany
! side by side for the culture and peace
OF Europe! Serbia. Russia. and especially
England. shall perish with the un-
| righteous,
"whoppers" of War.
! The Austrlans are. I think. taken as
a whole. the most crcduIous people in the
world. High and low, rich and poor. they
will believe anything they hear.
| There is a fine story, the truth of
| which you must be very careful not to
doubt in these parts concerning Prus-
| sian general of the high command, Y 10
| for the last ten OF fifteen years has
busted himself making vast mine field
! for the silly Russians to walk over
When about three army corps were in 1t
the general in person pressed the but
ton. and the enemy went sky high in
every direction. The story has a sad
touch to II, however. in the fact that the
sight Was of such a shocking and revolt
| ing nature that the general lost his rea-
son then and there, and is at present
Taving maniac.
"a man OF some standing in the Hun
| garian state department informed me
recently that news had just been re-
ceived stating that England had with
drawn all her land forces from Europe,
and the Germans promptly taking pos
session OF their vacant trenches Moth