Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1917-04-19
AUSTRIA HUNGARY
SEWERS RELATIONS
RANGES HERSELF UNREsERvEp.
LY ALONGSIDE HER ALLY IN
GREAT STRUGGLE.
WAR DECLARATION EXPECTED
United States seizes Austrian Mer
chant Ships lnterned Here.-Noth.
Ing Has Been Heard From Turkey
and Bulgaria.

NV Hds oeen 1earo from turkey
and Bulgaria.
Observation-Disclosures rang.
Ing herself unreservedly with Ger.
many. has severed diploma tic relations
with the United States, precipitating
a situation which is expected here to
lead to war.
Baron Erich Zwiedinek, the Austrian
Charge, asked the State Department
for passports for himself, his staff and
the Austrian Consular force in this
country; and simultaneously American
Minister Stovall reported from Berne
that Austria had announced the break
In relations to the American Embassy
In Vienna.
Immediately the Treasury Depart.
ment ordered the seizure Of all Aus.
trian merchant ships In American har.
bors. The Austrian crews were taken
of and sent to immigration stations
and American guards put on board
The measure was explained as purely
one Of police caution, but It is realized
that 1t may be interpreted by Austria
as an act of war. In similar situa.
tion after the break with Germany, no
SHIPS were seized until state of war
actually had been declared.
Whether Bulgaria and Turkey are
preparing to follow suit still is un.
known, but officials generally believe
that sooner or later they will do So
Bulgarian Minister Panaretoff called
on Secretary Lansing to ask II this
Government had any information
from Sofia, but was told none had
been received. Both Bulgaria and
Turkey are believed here to be weary
Of the war. but German domination
Of the Central European alliance is
expected to drive them, as 1t drove
Austria, to q break with Germanys
new enemy.
Word Flashed Abroad.
kilograms prepared a week ago In
anticipation Of the development. have
been sent to American diplomatic and
consular officials abroad instructing
them to wind up their conduct OF En-
tente interests in Austria, and Of Aus.
train interests in Entente countries
Spain will take over American inter.
ests In Austria and Sweden will as
sumo Austrian interests here.
Safe conduct for the former Aus
train officials on their trip home will
be sought at once from the British
and French Governments. With them
will 60 Count Tarnowski, the newly.
appointed Austrian Ambassador, who
arrived at New York on the day Ger
many announced her campaign Of
ruthlessnes, but whose credentials
President Wilson has refused to &C.
cept while negotiations proceeded to
develop how fully the Vienna Gov
ernment endorsed the submarine pol
Icy Of her Ally.
In a statement reviewing these ne
gotiatlons, the State Department re.
vealed that on April 1, before Presi.
dent Wilson went before Congress to
ask for declaration Of a state Of war
with Germany, Austria served notice
that such a declaration would mean q
break between the Washington and
Vienna Governments. This notiflca.
lion brought to an abrupt end the State
Departments efforts to dissuade the
Austrian Foreign Office from adhering
fully to the German submarine policy
Disposed to Be Tolerant.
Although the full text Of the com
munication exchanged was not given
out, the Departments review disclos
ed a disposition on the part Of the
United States to tolerate Austrias
verbal endorsement Of the German
policy, provided there were no steps
for actual cooperation and no in
sistence that Count Tarnowski be re
ceived by the President. On the part
Of Austria. there was evident a desire
to maintain friendly relations, but ar
increasing inability to do SO because
Of German pressure.
Officials were without definite ad
vices regarding arrangements foi
withdrawal Of the Embassy staff al
Vienna and other Americans in the
dual Empire. Ambassador Penfleld
already Is In Switzerland, having been
ordered more than week ago to start
for Washington for personal discus
sion Of the American negotiations. II
Is assumed that no obstacles will be
placed in the way of the departure OF
American Charge Grew. his staff. the
200 other native Americans scattered
throughout Austria and Hungary, and
such of the 1900 or more naturalized
American citizens who care to leave.
Departing. ,Austrians.
Baron Zwiedinek and other Austrian
officials in the United States probably