The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-12-21
Important Conferences Now
Goinglon at Vienna and
Berlin.
.AUsTRIANs SUSPICIOUS
Afraid Of German Control
of Their Financial and
Economic Affairs.
lby Associated Pressl

ZURICH, ySEwitzerland,, Dec. 2l.-,
Important conferences between Ger
man and Austro.H Hungarian politicians
and leading representatiyesrof finance
and commerce; are now going on in
Vienna and Berlin, for the purpose
Of finding a basis for establishing clos
'er economic relations between the al.
lied empires. Although several meet.
ings havo already taken place no def
mite results have yet been obtained.
The Industrial and commercial inter-
ests Of the two Countries are so di.
yergent that 1t is difficult to see how
an understanding can be reached,
which will prove satisfactory to both
sides. And so far every conference
seems only to have discovered new
troubles In the way Of reaching an
agreement.
Austro.Hungarians fear, that just
as at present they are under the dom
ination OF Germany In military al.
fairs, SO later their financial and econ
omic independence will also be lost
before the persistent and powerful
monarch OF Germany. The whole
question is one OF the most vital i'm:
protance for the future welfare OF
the dual monarchy, and excites far
more interest in the business commun.
ity than the progress Of the. war
Since the Franco. prussian war Ger
many has become an industrial state
while Austria, Hungary has remained
essentially agricultural. With the ex.
ception; OF Bohemia, Morayia and Low.
or Austria, which includes Vienna, all
the other provinces OF Austria are
purely agricultural, and Hungary is
overwhelmingly SO. In both parlia-
ments at Vienna and Budapest, the
agrarians always possess a large ma.
jority. Ia 4.
Nevertheless both politically and
militarily, q closer union between Ger
many and Austria is generally regard.
ed as an absolute necessity ana will
doubtless continue to be so long at-
Ter the war is ended. Butsthe prob.
lem as TO how this is to be brought
about is exceedingly complex.
~ BY high protective duties Austria
has long maintained an economic ex.
istence, independent OF Germany, and
indeed even opposed to German in:
terests. In Austria everything is
much dearer than in Germany, from
twenty to even nifty per cent The
difference in prices is especially great
In heavy wares, such as coal, iron,
steel and machinery. IT is only
through these protective duties that
Austria has managed to develop q
growing industry and prevent the
countryfrom being flooded with cheap
German products. sssi i
For some years Austria has almost
monopolized the trade In the Balkans
and the Leyant, but latterly German
merchants have been creeping IN
there and capturing customers. This
has been the case more than ever
since the ann exation by Austria:H Hun.
gary, Of Bosnia and Herzegovina in
1909, when both Turkey and Serbia
boycotted Austrian goods. The rap.
idity with which Germany seized the
opportunity. TO enter these markets
caused intense irritation in Vienna
and Budapest at the time. Nor has
this feeling diminished since German
trade has steadily grown in South.
eastern Europe while Austria's has
as steadily decreased.
How all these matters will develop
after. the war nobody can foresee.
und dlys Austria. Hungary is plac.
ed under heavy Obligations to Ger.
many for her military aid In the war,
How and In what form will Germany