Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-05
AUSTRIA FIRST TO
BE MADE ENEMY
Congress Expects to Pass Wan
Declaration Not Later
Than Friday.
DRASTIC STEP LONG COMING
Scores of covert Acts" Against
America Performed by the
Dual Monarchy.
CLOSEST ALLY OF WILHELM
Indistinguishably Connected in
German Spy and Subma-
rine Activities.
CLOSEST ALLY OF WILHELM

WASHINGTON. Dec. 4.-When
President Wilson today asked con-
gress to Immediately declare war on
Austria Hungary. congress, respond
ing with, signs of approval. began set
ting itself about the work. The senate
foreign relations committee and the
house foreign affairs committee.
which must deal with the war reso-
luton, were called to meet tom orrow.
Tho resolution drafted by the in
ternational law experts OF the state
department will bo passed by both
houses of congress by Friday night.
The president did not recommend
declarations of war with Turkey ana
Bulgaria, Germanys other allies at
this time.
Some menlbers-of congress believing
they should be included have an
tuounced their intention of attempting
! to so amend the war resolution.
Most administration leaders, how
| ever, realize that the president may
| have n diplomatic reason for not in
ciuding Turkey and Bulgaria and the
war resolution probably will pass as
the pi esident wants it.
Little Rcndiustmcnt Needed.
| Declaration Of wan with Austria
Hungary involves very little readJust-
inent of affairs between the United
States and the dual monarchy because
the state of war which congress Is
about to declare exists. actually has
| been a fact for many months.
There have been no such number
| of derredatiors on American lives and
rights by Austrian military forces as
| has been the case with Germany, tut
Austria, as the willing or unwilling
ally of Germany, has gradually come
into a position where officials or the
American government have realized
more and more clearly that she must
be included with Germany as an en-
envy. This was apparent even before
the Teutonic invasion of Italy made
the Austro-Italian front literally
part of the western front on which
/ American forces are operating.
Many covert Acts"
There has been no outstanding
covert act" on the part OF Austria
against the United States; there have
been rather a series of acts short or
being classed as cause for war. They
go back to the beginning OF the Eu-
ropean war.
Long before Former Ambassador
Dumba was uncovered and sent home
to Vienna as an instigator of strikes
in American manufacturing plants tho
| government had evidence that the
Austrian diplomatic and consular SER
vice was being used in this country
for Germany's warlil.e purposes. The
secret service found how the Austrian
dipfbmatic code and the offices OF
Austrian consuis were being used for
activities Germany could not carry
Il on in the United States with her own
officials. In some cases where suSma-
rines sank unresisting passenger liners
with great loss of life. 1t appeared
that the U-boats themselves were Aus
trian, but there was little doubt that
the officers and crew were Germans
and that the submer5'bles were acting
under German orders. Tho mos'
striking case of that sort was the de-
! struction of the Italian liner Ancona
in which responsibility never was
definitely established.
Petrolite Attack Stirs Up Trouble.
The first attack On an American
shin. which attracted the attention OF
the nation, was that upon the Ar ,er-
lean tank steamer Petrolite. An Aus
: trian submarine fired on the ship
killed a member of the crew and
Nforcibly took off supplies while the
master was held as Il hostage on tbs
submarine. Nothing but evasi9e dip
lomatic correspondence ever came M OF
IL The American steamer Schuylkill
: sunk last week, Is believed to have
been sent down by an Austrian sub
marine, but there has been no abso-
Lutte proof.
German submarines In the Mediter-
ranean have been flying the Austrian
, flag and Austrian submarines have
been flying the German flag. Appar-
emily commanders of both navies have
been interchanging flags to avoid re-
.. sponsibility for lawless acts
/, Quite aside from the question of
, covert acts" however, the principal
consideration OF the government in
deciding on war with Austria Hungary
is the nature of the alliance between
Austria and Germany. which made II
anomalous to war with the latter and
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