New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-05
Declaration by Congress
Will Involve Only a
Few Changes
covert Act" Lacking
Series of Offences Caused
Diplomatic Break Last
April

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4.-DeeiaEatIon
of war with Austria-Hungary Involves
very little readjustment Of affairs pc
tween the United States and the Dual
Monarchy. because the state OF war
which Congress is about 20 declare eN-
lists actually has been fact for many
months.
II changes the stat.: ot Austro-Hun-
garian affairs in the United States very
little. other than to include all subjects
of the dual empire in the list OF enemy
aliens. Austria Hungary has had no
diplomatic or consular relations win
the United States since they were
brckon Off April 2, Immediately Hollow
ing the diplomatic break with Germany
Comparatively few Americans porn
in the United States remain IN austria.
although here are some hundreds OF
Gahcian Jews and other Austrlens VINO
have claims TO American Citizenship
by naturalization or having taken out
first papers. The attitude OF the state
Department is understood TO be that the
breaking of diplomatic relations was
sufficient warning to them to leave, and
T
be useless. There are no American con-
eular or diplomatic officers now in Aus
tria. Diplomatic affairs of the United
States in Vienna are in the hands of
Spain. Austria's affairs here are
handled by Sweden, q
Necessity Long Apparent
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 ofhclals OF the
American government have realized
more and more clearly that she must
be included with Germany as an enemy.
This was apparent even before the
Teutonic invasion of Italy made the
Austro-I Italian front literally part OIL
the Western front, on which American
forces are operating.
There has been no outstanding overt
act" on the part of Austria against the
United States: there have been rather
a series of acts short OF being classed
as cause for war. They so back TO the
beginning of the European war.
Long before former Ambassador
T.
of strikes in American manufacturing
plants. and sent home early in Octo-
Der. 1915, to Vienna, the government
had evidence that the Austrian diplo-
matte and consular service was being
used in this country for Germany's
warlike purposes.
Germans Used Austrian Code
The Secret. Service found how the
Austrian diplomatic code and the OIL
fees of Austrian consuls were beinS
used for activities Germany could mo-
carry on in the United States with her
own officials. In some cases where
submarines sank unresisting passenger
liners with great loss of life, it APP
neared that the U-boats themselves
we're Austrian, but there was little
doubt that the Cfficers and crew were
Germans and that the iubmersibles
were acting under German ORDERS. Inc
most striking case Of that sort was the
destruction Of the Italian liner An
coma. in which responsibility never was
definitely established.
The first attack on an American snip
which attracted the attention OF the
nation was that upon the American
tank steamer Petrolte. An Austrian
submarine fred on the ship, killed
member Of the crew and forcibly took
eff supplies while the master was held
as hostage on the submarine. Moth
ing but evasive diplomatic correspond
ence ever came of it. The American
steamer Schuylkill, sunk last week, is
believed to have been sent down by an
Austrian submarine, but there has been
no absolute proof.
German submarines in the Mediterra-
mean have been flying the Austrian flag
and Austrian submarines have been fly
ing the German flag. Apparently, com
manders of both navies have been in
terchanging flags to avoid response
bility for lawless acts.