The Western outlook., 1915-08-14
IS MADE THE GOAT
Auffenberg Put in Cell to Save
Archduke.
Austrian Commander Sent to Prison
by Emperor to Prevent Expose Of
Disaster In SerbIa-Biamed
Frederick.

u den. baron Nuremberg from his
position as commander Of one Of the
most powerful of the Austro-H Hun
gar1an armies to an incommunicado
cell in an unnamed prison is one of
the most closely guarded secrets In
Vienna. Austrian newspapers are not
allowed even to mention his name and
inquirers In the Hungarian house of
deputies have been advised to let the
matter drop.
From information which has just
reached Venice it appears that the
general was summarily arrested as
he was about to leave for Switzerland
and has not been allowed to communi.
cate even with his family or lawyers
His object in going to Switzerland was
the publication of volume of me-
moirs, in which he hoped to establish
his innocence of mismanaging the
Austrian campaign against Serbia by
putting the blame upon the shout
ders of the commander In chief, the
Archduke Frederick.
The following explanation of Gen.
eral Auffenberg's rise and fall comes
from personal friends of the general.
It Is in general agreement with such
facts of the case as have been pre-
viously established:
General Auffenberg, as a former
minister Of war and one of the great
soldiers of the empire. was placed in
80 lob,
took the invasion of Serbia at the
beginning of the war. This invasion
ended disastrously. The Austrians
were defeated with tremendous losses
and retired across the frontier In dis
order. There was hasty investiga-
ton in Vienna and the investigators
reported that General Auffenberg was
mainly responsible, owing to his gross
mistakes of strategy in planning and
carrying out his offense. They rec
commended that he be suspended from
his command.
''But 1t seemed unwise to the mill
tary powers to draw public attention
to the extent of the disaster in Serbia,
SO 1t was decided that Auffenberg's re-
tirement be attributed to Ill health
brought on by the strenuous exertions
Of the campaign, and that the title of
baron should be conferred on him to
support the impression that after all
nothing really serious had happened
to the Austrian forces in Serbia The
new baron was ordered home and
placed on the retired list among off
GERS at the disposition of the emperor
for future military SERVICE
"The general came home mystif1ed
and began quiet investigation Of the
situation. AS soon as he found out
that he was blamed for the failure of
the Serbian campaign he demanded
that his side of the story should be
heard. He received no encouragement
in official circles, but it became gen.
orally known among military men that
he planned to re-establish his own
reputation by showing that the blame
for the failure must be attributed to
the Archduke Frederick.
"In one case, for example, the gen.
men: I will not be made the scape-
goat for an archduke who ought never
to have been intrusted with the SUI
preme command of the imperial
forces, but who ought rather to have
been locked up in his palace in Vienna
to prevent his meddling in the conduct
of the war
"This remark, with others of sim
liar nature, reached the ears of the
archduke, whose influence was exer-
cised to bring about the downfall of
the general. The climax came when
Auffenberg asserted that, having
failed to obtain a hearing in official
circles. he would prove his own inno-
cence and the archduke's blameworthi-
ness by writing book on the war and
having 1t published in Switzerland.
To prevent his flight into Switzer-
land and the publication of the threat
ened book Emperor Francis Joseph
himself stepped in and ordered him
arrested and placed in solitary confine-
ment until the end Of the war. He
was committed to prison by imperial
order. without the semblance of
trial or investigation, and was not al
lowed to communicate with the out
side world. Questions addressed to
the government in the Hungarian
house Of deputies were answered with
the statement that the government
could not at this time deal with a
purely military matter in parliament"