The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-14
|AUSIR|ANS FEELING GOLD GRAY DAWN OF. THE MORNING AF TER Unable to Stop War Machine They Started So Gayly
 in July SOLDIERS ARE GOOD. BUT OFFICERS POOR Hungarians Are the Most Credulous People in World-Dual Monarchy
 Having Trouble With
 Its Money

lonoon, February 13.--tSpecial )-Au American who has just returned from
 Austro-Hungary says it is only necessary for one to stay there few days to see
 plainly that the inhabitants are thor
 oughly sick and tired of the war-men, women and children, high and low rich
 and poor. This observer gave an inter- vlew on condition that he remain an anonymous.
 AS the Austrians look back to those first days in August when, with an en-
 thusiasm amounting to positive frenzy,
 they declared war on little Servta; bands Ranging through the streets orchestras on the sidewalks wildly fiddling. men yeillng, 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 difficuty-one which Austria never really thought seriously of-there is Roumania, who has not been at all kind of late. Last summer she served notice on her western neighbor
 that the price of peace was Sl60. 900, ,000
 Austria protested wildly. but finally gave S4c,0oO.OO0 on account, which, however, did
 not make much difference. because it was borrowed from the Emperor Will
 liam; but now that is to say. during the last 10 days, Roumania has been press ing her claim for the remaining $120, GOO, ,0O0
 i'll manner most distressing to Hun gary. In short, Roumania is thinking very seriously of taking Pennsylvania. Great quantities of natural gas, silver coal and perol have lately been developed
 there, which may possible have something
 to do with the idea, but that, of course, IS a detail. Roumana nevertheless has become very annoying.
 War Machine Keeps Running 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 running on.
 Every Austrian officer I have talked to has been loud and outspo1en 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 a villa, and where he ex- pected to spend the winter. His place had been filled by German officer, as was the case with many others.
 As to the Austrian as soldier. 1t car be said that, leaving out his officers,
 hc starts even with the best European | almies. His equipment is good. He wears warm grey uniform similar to the German, only without the headgear, stout boots, and short leggings He car I ries on his back a first-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 I sian bayonet, on the otherhand, is much l too long and thin. The Austrian soldier will obey orders but his officers for the l most part know little concerning the art 1 of war
 "The Hungarian peasants, on the other hand, especially those from the east, are no more fitted to be soldiers than are school children. He has not the vaguest
 notion concerning the simplest use of the rifle, and he falls silly victim to the
 most obvious tricks of the enemy
 "Time after time they have allowed hostile troops to ride close in on their | outlying attachments, sometimes dressed as Austrian soldiers carrying friendly | flags and on occa asions even disguised as women. An ill-concealed machine gun, which should have fooled no one, then l open it's deadly stream upon the sur- | prised soldiers. who invariably rush into assembly when the real carnage takes place. The Hungarian is of too trusting a nature even to make a good warrior. Servia Almost at Peace
 l There have been no operations against l Servia of any importance for sometime, I notwithstanding press dispatches to the
 contrary; the forces in the south have l been brought north tO SlTtnSlneil f1lIl- | denburg's lines. So Servia is practically at peace whilst Austria is at war, and
 that is what hurts.
 Tn this dark hour Austria sees only one ray of hope, and curiously enough. l that ray is France. Germany has prcl i 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 I am sure. Repeatedly during my travels through Austria lately have been sounded by not unimportant officials as | to my feeling concerning the French con- tingent. At first I was inclined to treat the matter lightly, but find that they really consider the idea as quite possible. Austria, France and Germany side by side for the culture and peace of Eu- krope. Servia. Russia. and especially Eng
 land. shall perish with the unrighteous, 'The Austrians are, I think, taken as whole, the most credulous people in the world. High and low, rich and poor, l they will believe anything they Near. | There Is a, fine story, the truth of which you must be very careful not to doubt in these parts concerning a Prus- | sian general of the high command. who
 for the last 10 or b years has busied him.
 Russians to walk over. When about three army corps were in 1t, the general in person pressed the button, and the enemy