The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-07-10
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-Blamed
Frederick.

Venice, Italy.-The story of the fall
of Gen. Baron Auffenberg from his
position as commander of one of the
most powerful OF the Austro-Hun-
garian 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 1t 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 a 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.
1t 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
command of the armies which under
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 a 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 it seemed unwise to the mill
tary powers to draw public attention
to the extent of the disaster in Serbia,
so it was decided that Auffenberg's re-
tirement be attributed to i'll 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 mystiied
and began a 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 1t became gen
orally known among military men thai
he planned to ~re-establish his own
reputation by showing that the blame
for the failure must be attributed tc
the Archduke Frederick.
I'm one case, for example, the gen
eral declared to a group Of military
men: I will not be made the scape
goat for an archduke who ought never
to have been intrusted with the su
preme command of the imperia
forces, but who ought rather to have
been locked up in his palace in Viennt
to prevent his meddling In the conduc
of the war
This remark, with others of sim
liar nature, reached the ears of tn,
archduke, whose influence was exer
cised to bring about the downfall o
the general. The climax came wheI
A~uffenberg asserted that. having