The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-04
Three Cabinet Members Resign
After COnfessing Guilt.
Illegally Sold Supplies to Army
at EXOrbitant Prices.
FOES EXCHANGE AERO NOTES
Rumanians and Serbians Drop
Messages About Revolution.
Fresh Labor Trouble Breaks
Out in Germany's Shipyards.

London, April 4-The Austrian min
listers of justice. war and finance, have
resigned, after the revelation of
grave scandal connected with army
supplies, according to Il dispatch to
the Exchange Telegraph company
from The Hague, quoting German
newspapers.
According to the dispatch the three
ministers, assisted DR. Franz, formerly
director CT the Vienna deposit bank,
to escape the consequences of having
illegally sold foodstuffs to the army at
eXorbitant prices.
AT the trial of DR.. Franz, documents
We're produced which convinced the
judge that the ministers had forged a
paper which was used in the bankers
behalf. They were summoned as wit
nesses and admitted their guilt, later
resigning.
EurOpe'S Greatest Scandal.
Copenhagen, April 4. - The war
graft trial in Vienna which has sud-
denly resulted in the resignation of
Minister of War Krobatin, Minister of
Justice Schenk and Minister of Finance
Spitzmueller, has already developed
into the most sensational political
event in Austria since the outbreak of
the war.
The affair began with charges of
wholesale manipulations in the pur-
chase of army supplies by DR.. Franz
former director of the Vienna deposit
bank, and one of the chief purchasing
agents of the government.
The designations of the ministers
were caused by the statement Of two
officers who constituted a court to in
VeStigate the charges against Franz.
They declared that their signed and
sworn report was altered in essential
particulars by the three ministers with
out the knowledge of the court, ac-
cuSed or witnesses.
Serbs Know Cause of Revolution.
London, April A dispatch to
Reuters from army headquarters in
Macedonia says the Bulgarians have
been dropping circulars into the Ser
bian lines from aircraft which state
that Because of the discomfort of the
Russian people with the Anglo-French
advance and thei, ardent desire for
peace, a revolution has broken out in
Russia which has cverthrown all au-
thority and the emperor"
The dispatch says the Serbian SOL
dierS are fully informed as to the
causes of the Eussiar revolution and
that Serbian aVjators are now throw
lnS circulars INTO the Bulgarian lines
telling the truth of the situati u: N
Russia.
Germans Demand Pay Increase.
Copenhagen, April 4-The Berlin
Tageblatt says that labor difficulties
have broke out in the Vulcan ship
building works at Hamburg The
workmen demand one-third increase
in their wages. The Vulcan works are
where most of Germanys great ocean
liners have been built
Labor difficulties and strikes have
been reported from various sections
of Germany in the last few months.
Trouble of a serious nature in Ham
burg was reported from various
sources following the Russian revolu-
ton These reports were sustained
by statements of Socialist deputies in
the reichstag referring to the deplora-
BILE events at Hamburg and Bremen.
A strike occurred in February in the
Krupp works at Essen. More recent
ly strikes have been reported among
the munition workers at Dusseldorf
and among the coal miners at Penz-
burg. They were said to have been
caused by the food scarcity which was
also credited with being responsible
for serious riots IN Berlin and other
big German cities.