The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-12-05
Slight Readjustment Olaf
fairs Between America
And Austria Needed
MANY OVERT ACTS
AS CAUSES OF WAR
Austria Was Being Used
By Germany. As Active
Enemy in America
CBy Associated Press.)

| Washington, Dec. 5.-Declaration
| OF war with Austria Hungary in
wolves very little readjustment of af-
| fairs 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 depredations 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 be included with Ger
many as an enemy. This was ap-
parent even before the Teutonic in
vasion of Italy made the Austro-
Italian front literally part OF the
western front on which American
forces are operating.
No One "OVert Act"
There has been no outstanding
overt act" on the part Of Austria
against the United States; there
have been rather series Of acts
short of being classed as cause for
war. They go back to the beginning
of the European war.
Long before former Ambassador
DumbasWas uncovered and sent home
to Verdun as an instigator of strikes
in American manufacturing plants,
the government had evidence that
the Austrian diplomatic and consular
service was being used in this coun-
try for Germany's warlike purposes.
In some cases where Submarines
sank unresisting passenger liners
with great loss OF life, it appeared
that the U-boats themselves were
Austrian but there was little doubt
that the officers and crew were Ger
mans and that the submersibles were
acting under German orders. The
most striking case was the destruc-
ton Of the italian liner Ancopa, in
which responsibility never was
definitely established.
The first attack on an American
ship was that upon the tank steam
err Petrolite. An Austrian submarine
fired upon the ship, killed member
Of the crew and forcibly took OF
supplies while the master was held
as hostage on the submarine.
Northing but evasive diplomatic cor
respondence ever came OF It. The
American steamer Schuylkill. sunk
last, week, is believed to have been
sent down by an Austrian sub
marine. a.a .. o..
Interchange Flags.
German submarines in the Mediter-
ranean have been flying the Austrian
flag and Austrian submarines have
been flying the German flag,
Quite aside from the question OF
covert acts, however, the principal
consideration Of the government in
deciding on war with Austria-Hun
gary is the nature of the alliance
between Austria and Germany, which
made 1t anomalous to war with the
latter and not with the former
Difficulty piled upon difficulty, and
much as he hoped to avoid 1t, the
President was forced to realize that
Austria was being used by Germany
in the United States as an active
enemy and that nothing less than
a declaration OF war would clear the
situation and leave the government
perfectly free to carry on the war
with Germany in the most effective
manner.
The German. spy system in the
United States today is known to be
manned largely by subjects Of Aus
tria- Hungary, many Of them mem
bers OF the Industrial Workers OF
the World, and the recent attempts
of that organization to hamper the
governments war preparations, are
traceable to the German system.
American secret service men found
the trails of the notorious Won Papen.
and Boy-Ed leading through the
Austrian consular eservice in this
country. Every turn OF the govern
ment toward combating the Ger
man espionage system found evil
dences OF how Germany was using
Austria.
Members of congress and many
administration officials, realizing the
situation, have for months urged a
declaration OF war.