The Dickinson press., 1915-04-03
HACKE'S EVENING ADDRESS
ON WARR|NG NATIONS
In his address the evening of March
81, Rev. A. C. Hacke gave in part the
f~O11owinu. ~
AUSTRIA-HUNGARY
The Country

country is a great central plain
fringed about with mountains. The
Dual Monarchy comprises a great
variety Of life and the conditions
which produce it; from Bosnia and
Herzegovina, where so per cent of
the land is in forests and only 25 per
cent in agriculture yet with 88 per
cent of the people devoted to agricul-
ture to Bohemia, where so per:
cent of the land is under agriculture
and this is the first province of the
monarchy in manufactures. Austria
boasts some of the most beautiful
mountain scenery; she produces most
of the useful minerals; agriculture
and stock raising have been devel-
oped more than manufactures. Her
greatest commercial relations are
with Germany.
Area and Population
Austria Hungary with it's 241,491
square miles of territory comprises
about one-sixteenth part of the total
area of Europe. Its only %sea-coast is
on the Adriatic and it borders on
Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Russia,
Servia and Montenegro, with it's long
est boundary line on the German side
and the next longest toward Russia.
We sometimes wonder why those
nations can pour so many men into
the great struggle that is claiming it's
toll on every side. We must remem-
Der that while Austria-Hungary is
only about one-sixteenth part of the
area of Europe it has about Is of the
population. To compare it another
way, with a territory just a little less
than 3k times the area of North Da-
kota it has a population equal to half
of the United States of America.
The Dual Monarchy is far from be-
ing unified in it's population. There
are within it's borders perhaps eleven
millions of Germans, ten millions of
Magyars, six million Of B~ohemians,
four million of Poles, 3R millions of
Roumanians, three millions of Ruth
enians, two millions of Slovaks, two
millions of Serbs and Croatians and
one million of Slovenes, besides
Greeks, French and others in lesser
numbers. It is claimed by prominent
writer's that one of the objects that
prompted Austria-Hungary to go into
the present war was that by it the
varied population might be cemented
a little closer together.
The nation is such a conglomerate
of races that there are always prob
lens that threaten some detection.
In late years in Bohemia it has been
the language question and in Hun
gary it has been the suffrage. Social
ism has been a growing factor. An
archy has had it's numerous adher-
ents.. The racial question has been
about as acute in Galicia as in Bo7
hemia or among the Serbs. "
Recent Events
The precipitation of the present
war was caused by the presentation
by Austria-Hungary of a note to
Servia containing a set of ten de-
mands for immediate acceptance.
For one who is not versed in Euro
pean diplomacy to read Servia's reply
it would seem that she responded to
most of these demands in a very fair
way, however, ~reserving the right for
criminal procedure within Servia to
be carried on without the participa-
ton of Austria-Hungarian officials.
This reply was unsatisfactory to
Austria Hungary. Her reply is
quoted in the "White Paper of Germ
any.") She evidently considered that
Servia was trying to evade the prin-
cipal points at issue and distrusted
the promises that were made. She
saw in the assassination of June %,
1914, a elimination of the Servian at
titude toward Austria-Hungary and
it is very evident that in the declara-
ton of war against Servia the effort
was made to put it on this larger bas-
is y = y = \
Austria and Hungary r two sep.
arate states completely independent OF
each other, and each has it's own
parliament and own government.
"The unity of the monarchy is ex-
pressed in the common head of the
state, who bears the title of Emperor
Of Austria and Apostolic King of
Hungary, and in the common admin
istration of a series of affairs, which
affect both halves Of the Dual Mon
archy. These are: (1) foreign af-
fairs, including diplomatic and consul
lar representation abroad; ~ The
army, including the navy, but ex-
GLIDING the annual voting Of recruits,
and the special army Of each state;
81 finance in so far as it concerns
joint expenditure"
The administration of these COM
mon affairs is through three joint
ministries which are limited in their
action strictly to the affairs that af-
feet both halves of the monarchy.
The minister Of foreign affairs may
conclude international treaties, but
commercial treaties that impose
burdens on the state O. parts of the
state must have the sanction of the
parliaments of both states. How
ever, the supreme command Of the
army. as a whole is vested in the
monarch who has the power to take
measures regarding the whole army.
This unifies the total armed forces of
the Dual Monarchy.
The alliance with Germany dates
from 1879, when Bismarck visited
Vienna and arranged a treaty by
which Germany bound herself to sup
port Austria-Hungary against an at
tack from Russia, and in turn Aus
tria-Hungary pledged herself to help
Germany. against. a combined attack
If Francn and Russia. The Trin1e