The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-01-29
LITTLE CHANGE
IN AUSTRIA ON
RULERS DEATH
Various Races Welded To
gether by Menace of
War in Europe.

Vienna, Jan. 29.-POnt1cally the
death of Emperor Francis Joseph and
the assassination of Premier Stuer-
gkh during 1916 left the empire
monarchy altogether unaffected. En-
peror Charles has stepped at the head
of the governmental machinery with
out tremor disturbing the state The
various races constituting Austria
Hungary have been welded into a
whole by the war in matters affecting
nationality, without, however, for
getting their special interests, as was
shown when the Ruthenians object
ed to the absolute elf-government
given by Emperor Francis Joseph to
Ga1icia. The Ruthenians fear that
the new order of things in Galicia
would give the Polish element the
upper hand to such an extent that op-
preston would follow. Like most
Slavic people, Pole and Ukranian, are
distrustful of one another, ana it is
asserted that the Polish nobility in
Galicia is not scrupulous enough po-
litically to cause the Ruthenians to
view their future with much assur-
ance. It is possible that the Austrian
crown-will take some measures to
safeguard the interests of the Ruth
enians.
The Czech problem has been solv-
ed during the year by eliminating it
self. It was at no time a. large af-
fair, consisting largely Of some sedi-
tious efforts Of certain Pan-Slav
Czech leaders, four of whom were re-
Gently condemned to death, on
charges growing out of the mutiny Of
a Czech regiment on the field of bat
tie. There is no reason to believe
that the Czech race stood behind
these efforts, not if the conduct of Bo-
hemian regiments against the Italian
and Rumanians is to serve as an in
dication. Public bodies throughout
Bohemia have repeatedly disavowed
the self-appointed Czech leaders in
foreign countries On the occasion of
the late emperor's death, the condo
lence from Bohemia were probably
the warmest received!
Austria-Hungary's share in the es-
tablishment of the kingdom of Po-
land was in the main negative, and
the result Of a compromise betw zen
Austria and Hungary, reached for the
sake of maintaining within the en-
pire- kingdom the balance Of the pow
er thought necessary to safeguard the
individual and collective interests of
the racial groups governed from
Vienna and Budapest. Fearing that
the joining of Galicia to Congress
Poland, and the close attachment Of
this greater kingdom of Poland to
Austria, would diminish Magyar IN
f1uence within the dual state Hun
garian statesmen were willing to have
Poland incline more towards Ger
many, as has been the case In these
first days of the new state. To satisfy
the Poles in Galicia, Emperor Francis
Joseph granted them the greatest
measure of self-government compat-
ible with the sovereignty Of the
crown The Polish element in CAL
icia appears greatly pleased with the
new state of affairs.
The Hungarian diet has also been
in session Throughout the parliament
tary period, listening for much of it's
time to attacks Upon Premier Tzsa
and Baron Burian, >Austro-Hungarian
minister Of foreign affairs. The OPP.
position charged that vthe men in
Vienna had closed their eyes to the
course of events in Bucharest, and
had permitted themselves to be lulled
into false sense of security, the Ru-
manian army invading Pennsylvania
as the result Of this. Debates Of this
question were cut short as much by
military events in Pennsylvania as by
the defense which Count Tisza put
up. The food situation also occupied
the Hungarian diet for many days,
result of which was that the Hungar-
ian government prohibited nearly all
food exports to Austria and Germany.
This policy has been called selfish. In
cxtentuation it must be said that
crop returns in Hungary in 1916 were
far from good.
For the last three months the
question Of converting the Austrian
Reichsrat has been before the public
When this parliament will go into
session is not known even to-day The
impression prevails that it will meet
this month, more probable it is that
March will be the month. The Aus
TRAN parliament has not been assem-
bled since the outbreak of the war,
the government conducting it's at
fairs by virtue of laws passed before
that time, and regulations empower
ed by sundry war acts, some of them
of ancient date