Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-08-29
Wednesday, August %. 1917.
Austria Sees the End.


Boston Herald says that Austria is on
the verge of panic. Military reverses
with the prospect Of early disaster II
the relentless pounding by Italian
forces IS continued, are made doubly
serious by their effect upon the people
ali over the empire. The feenng
against Germany is finding more open
and wide expression as the fear IN
which Austria Hungary has been held,
is lessened by the evidence that Prus-
sian downfall is near. Austria now is
aware of the sure fate of her ally and
erstvhile dictator. Austria realizes.
today. the hatred of the world which
Germany has won by her inhuman
methods of inspiring terror OF the
Prussian hand. And the imperial gov
eminent realizes that its own inter-
woven fate hangs in the balance.
For weeks we have insisted that
peace, or at least, cessation OF HOSTILE
ties, must come before winter and that
/. was almost sure to be brought about
through the determination Of Austria
Hungary to end its activity in the war
horror that has not, and never can,
realize a single benefit out Of its awful
cost
It is now no secret that the emperor
and empress Of Austria have repeated
" declared that they are determined
at any cost to avoid another winter OF
war. Nor are anti Prussian sent1-
r,ents in the empire any longer secret.
And it may be as confidently claimed
that on the prospect Of an armistlce
before the ground freezes may hang
the fate Of the Hapsburg dynasty.
Emperor Charles has daily evidence OF
the precarious state Of his Keeling
army.
The dispatch above referred to reads
ir: part:
"Aduces from Switzerland present
the condition of Austria as borderlns
on panic. The Italian victories nave
caused such alarm in Vienna that the
Emperor rushed to the front and mace
radical changes in the high command
in an unsuccessful effort to stem the
tide. The Austrian press hardly VEN
lures TO discuss the military situation,
despite the fact that battle is raging
ON which the fate of theeempire may
depend.
o,, ~ crushed
revolution in Bohemia comes trouble in
Pennsylvania, said to be due to the re-
fusal Of the agricultural interests to
accept the official terms for the regu-
lation and sale of their produce. More
definite facts are not known, as Tran
sylvania is under martial law, and
practically cut off from the rest of the
country.
How serious agriculture's attitude
throughout the empire has become may
be judged from the fact that the secret
economic conference between repre-
sentatives Of Germany and Austria
Hungary. which began on Aug. and
was intended to settle Jnutual food
distribution for the winter, had to be
abandoned without accomplishing any
thing. owing it is stated, to universal
opposition Of agrarian interests.
The failure Of the peace manoeuvres
proved a terrible shock. as the word
had gone from the highest quarters
that peace was certain almost inmedi-
ately"
Germany undoubtedly has been en-
tirely willing for Austria Hungary to
lead off toward peace, as a means Of
feeling the determination Of the en-
tente allies toward the central allies.
and herself in particular. But per.
haps not even the Kaiser had calcu-
lated the effect upon the masses in the
difficult realm of Austria Hungary
and even upon his own people Of
arousing hope Of peace. These
people, who have been deceived from
the start, are not only amazed at the
refusal Of enemy nations to consider
Germany's peace plans, but they are
Fotsdam. In other words. the peace
scheming of the war masters has got
ten away from them, and to check the
food among the war-sick agrarians is
cause for panic in more than one gov
eminent seat.
1t is also beyond question that lhe
IF and approved the Pope's peace pro-
pc~als. When Germany. outside Of the