Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-12-05
AUSTRIAN SUSPECTS
WILL De ARRESTED
Scores to be Thrown Into
Jail Soon After Decla-
ration of War
MANY FLED FROM
COUNTRY RECENTLY

WASHINGTON. Dec. 5.--Declaration Of
war with Austria-Hungary involves
little readiustment Of affairs between
the United States and the Dual Mon
archy because the state of war which
Congress is about TO declare exists, act
ually has been a fact for many months.
Scores Of Hungarian subjects
suspected Of being enemy agents In this
country will be arrested within a few
hours after a declaration Of war. Many
Of these men have been under surveil-
lance by Department Of Justice agents
for months but have not been taken
into custody because Of lack Of definite
evidence.
When Congress adopts President VIII
sons Recommendation that a state Of
war against Austria-Hungary be de-
clared unnaturalized subjects of the
Dual Monarchy automatically will be-
como enemy aliens and be subject to
summary arrest and internment.
For several months Government
agents have been gathering Information
on the hostile activities of Austrians,
who were not subject to the restrictions
imposed on unnaturalized Germans by
the state Of war with Germany. Those
caughtlin illegal acts were arrested and
tried under the usual criminal statutes
Many others were free TO travel and
obtain information valuable to Ameri-
cas- enemies, however, while keeping
their conduct technically within the
law
Government investigators recently re-
ported an exodus Of educated Austrians
from the United States and it is be-
lieved they fed in anticipation of a
formal declaration Of war against their
country. Among them were known to
be men who had been connected with
hostile interests. Consequently a decla-
ration of war at this time would be too
late TO permit the apprehension of some
Of the most dangerous leaders of the
enemy espionage systems.
Almost a million Austrian subjects in
the United States would be affected by
a declaration Of war, for they would
become Immediately amendable to the
Presidents recent order requiring
enemy aliens TO register with public
authorities. Forbidding them TO travel
without special permit, and barring
them from Waterfronts, warehouses and
terminals.
Regulations to put into effect the
enemy allen registration will be issued
within asfew days by the Department
Of Justice, and applied at first only TO
/ eastern cities, where the police will
conduct the registration, recording de-
tailed information concerning each reg
istrant The task will be three times
greater than when planned only for
Germans.
Omcials realize that most Austro-
Hungarians iIfAhis country are harm
less. and a great proportion. particular
ly Of Hungarians, Bohemians and Slavic
elements are actually pro-Ally, conse-
quently consideration will be shown In
administering the enemy alien regula-
tions.
Department OF Justice officials were
pleased teday over the Presidents
recommendation for legislation to eX-
tend enemy alien restrictions to women.
some Of whom are suspected Of being
clever aides to the German espionage
system, and to authorize more drastic
punishment for active enemy aliens
such as penitentiary Imprisonment and
hard labor
There have been no such number Of
depredatidns on American lives and
rights by Austrian military forces as
has been the case with Germany, but
Austria, as the willing or unwilling ally
Of Germany, has gradually come into a
position where officials Of the American
Government have realized more and
more clearly that she must bs included
with Germany as an enemy. This was
apparent even before the Teutonic in
vasion Of Italy made the Austro- italian
front literally a part Of the western
front, on which American forces arc
operating
/ There has been no outstanding overt