Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-09-08
Puts Blame For F>menting
Strikes Upon Austrian
Government
REFUSES TO COMMENT
Ambassadors Admission ReVelAtion
Matter Will Be Considered at a
Cabinet Meeting.

Washington, Sept. s. DR.. Con-
.tantin Theodor Dumba, the Austrian
Ambassador to the United States, told
Secretary of State Lansing yesterday
that he had acted upon rigid orders
from his Government in fomentlng
strikes among Acknowledgements en-
gagged in the manufacture OF war
munitions for the Entante Allies.
No apology was offered for the ac-
tivities of the diplomat in his efforts
to tie up large part Of Americas
industrial system through labor troub-
les, and no assurance was given DR..
Dumba that his explanation was satlS7
factory to this Government.
The Ambassador came to Washing
ton on a hurried trip from his sum-
mer home at LenoX, Mass. TOR t:'e
purpose of explaining his extraordi-
nary action as revealed by the report
forwarded to the Austrian Foreign
Office. This report had been intrusted
to James F. Archibald, an American
newspaper man, but was seized by the
British Government and its contents
made puSlic.
In view of the Ambassadors de-
cIaration that all he did in interfering
wild, the manufacture of munitions IN
the United States through strikes and
through "subsidizing" foreign langu-
ape newspapers was directed from
Vienna. the course of the Admlnistss
ton in dealing with the situation has
not been determined upon. Mr.. Lam
sing Informed the diplomat that his
statements would be laid before the
President, and no decision would be
arrived at "for few days" In the
meantime, the facts will become
matter of Cabinet discussion.
DR.. Dumba's interview with Sec
retary Lansing did not last more than
half an: hour, He reached the State
Department shortly after o'clock
When he emerged from Mr.. Lanslngs
office he declined to comment at
length upon his mission.
"I have seen the Secretary OF state
and made an explanation to him.
said the Ambassador. "The substance
of this explanation would not be un-
derstood by the, American people nor
by the American newspapers, there
fore I shall not reiterate it."
DR.. :Dumba walked to the Metro
politan Club after announcing that he
would return to New York immediate
". In a few minutes. he went again
to the department, however, and was
closeted for IS to 90 minutes with
Third. Assistant Secretary Philips:
He made no statement at all following
this second conference.
It was learned that the Ambassa-
dor placed all the responsibility 1oi
his campaign against the manufac'
ture of war munitions here uopn tins
shoulders of his Government. he toic
Secretary Lansing that he had not at
tempted to incite strikes among an!
workers. except his fellow-countrymer
Following this up DR.. Dumba saic
that he had used all the means at MS
command to warn Austria Hungarian
subjects that their employment in the
manufacture of arms for Austria 5
enemies was in violation of the trea
son act Of his country and was sub
iect to the penalty of 5. 10 or 90 years
Imprisonment, and even subject to
the penalty of death. In bringing sucl
violations to the attention Of his. coun
trvnen the Ambassador made use O
the columns of American newspapers
printed in the language Of these men
This. in effect. is all that the Am
hassador said. During the interview
Secretary Lansing made no commen
that would commit this Governmer
to any line of action or indicate an
d;spleasure of the Administration
He merely remarked at the concll
sion that he would be glad to subm
the explanations of DR.. Dumba to
Aha prosidapt