The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-19
|A-HUNGARY DOES NOT BELIEVE DIPLOMATIC AFFAIRS
 WHOLLY HOPELESS
Transfer of Grew to Vienna Embassy and Wire of $250,000 For Charity Gives Hope That U. s.
 Will Not Break
AUSTRIA WILL NOT
 MODIFY ITS PLAN IN
 REGARD TO U-BOATS

Vienna, February 17.-(Via London, February 18.)-De- spite the fact that some of the newspapers are taking a gloomy view of Austro- Amer jean relations and the situa- tion brought about by the sew ering of relations between the United States and Germany official circles in Vienna are inclined to believe that the sit
 lation is not entirely hopeless.
 This also is the view of Frederic c.
 Penfield, the American ambassador,
 who is doing everything possible to
 assist in reaching friendly solution
 of the situation.
 At this moment there are two indi- cations, though possibly they are of lit- tie weight, which permit of the concIu- sion that Washington is not contemplat-
 ing an immediate break with Austria Hungary. One is the transfer to the em- bassy here of Joseph c. Green, former sec retary of the embassy in Berlin, who ar rived here tonight from Switzerland to assume the duties of counsellor of the embassy.
 The second indication arises from the fact that Secretary Lansing wired here on behalf of various Hebrew charity or ganizations the sum of s2o0,00o the amount having been donated by Ameri- can Hebrew societies. At the embassy here the opinion was expressed that the have transferred this sum had break between Washington and Vienna been even tentatively decided on.
 EXCHANGE OF NEWS SLOW
 At the foreign office no conjectures are indulged in regarding what the near future may bring. The fact that the two governments are unable to communicate their views more freely than the pres ent conditions permit has made the ex- change of opinions slow and unsatisfac- tory.
 The Associated Press is able to say that the Austro-Hungarian government as a result remains in almost total ignorance of what measures are needed in order tc meet the views of President Wilson and his cabinet. The impression here is monarchy will recede from the position taken jointly with Germany regarding submarine warfare. The feeling here, however, is that while the Austro-Hun- garian government might consider small I notifications of the new blockade regu- | of Holland there is not the slightest chance that it will yield in the least SC
 far as the principal involved is concerned Meanwhile, it is said the government l is ever ready to listen to some proposi-
 ton from Washington, provided it does 1 warfare as it is directed against the entente states and the imports from neu. 1 tral countries to these states.
 | There seems to be no doubt that of i fcial circles and the entire public have become thoroughly reconciled to the ster
 the dual monarchy has taken jointly with
 Germany and that the Austro- Hungarian government has been ready to accept all
 responsibility for it's attitude during the past two weeks.
 ] NOT BITTER AGAINST U. s. l With the exception of few radical IGermanists nobody has shown much bit lterness here against the American gov ernment, though what has been termed l"the unfairness of Washington" has re- suited in much disappointment The pub | (continued on Page TwoD