The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-12-22
Agrarian and Industrial In
terests Of Dual Monarchy
and Germany Must Be
Knit Into Union.

Zurich, Switzerland. Dec. 21.-Im-
portant conferences between German
and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS politicians and
leading representatives of finance and
commerce, are now going on in Wen
ma and Berlin, for the purpose of find
ing a basis for estab lishing closer eco-
nomic relations between the allied
empires. Although several meetings
have already taken place no definite
results have yet been obtained. The
industrial and commercial interests of
the two countries are so divergent that
it is difficult to see how an under
standing 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.
neutrality-suspicious. fear, that just
as at present they are under the DOM
nation of Germany in military affairs
so later their financial and economic
independence will also be lost before
the persistent and powerful monarch
of Germany. The whole question is
one. of the most vital Importance for
the future welfare of the dual mon
archy, and excites far more interest
in the business community 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
exception of Bohemia, Moravia and
Lower Austria. which includes Wen
ma, all the other provinces of Austria
are purely agricultural. and Hungary
is. overwhelmingly so. In both par
Haments at Vienna and Budapest, the
Agrarians always possess a large ma
Jority.
Nevertheless both politically and
mihtarify, a. closer union between Ger
many and Austria is generally regard
ed as an absolute necessity. and will
doubtless continue to be SO long after
the war is ended. But the problem
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 inter
ests- In Austria everything is much
| dearer than in Germany, from twenty
to even fifty per cent. The differ
/ ence in prices is especially great in
heavy wares, such as coal, iron, steel
and machinery. 1t is only through
these protective duties that Austria
has managed to develop a growing
industry, and prevent the country
from being flooded with cheap Ger
man products.
/ For some years Austria has almost
monopolized the trade in the Balkans
and the Levant. but 1atterly German
merchants have been creeping in
there and capturing customers. This
! has been the case more than ever
since the annexation by Austria-Hun-
gary Of Bosnia and Herzegovina in
j 1909, when both Turkey and Serbia
boycotted Austrian goods, The rapid
| ty 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. Ger
man trade has steadily grown in
Southeastern Europe while Austria s
/ has as steadily decreased.
How all these matters will develop
after the war nobody can foresee. I'm
doubtedly Austria-Hungar is placed
under heavy obligations to Germany
for her military aid in the war. How
and in what form will Germany re-
qutre payment for such service? Prob
ably through preferential customs.