Evening star., 1917-11-10
COVETED SPO|[S
BREWING TROUBLE
Rumor of Annexation Schemes
by Prussia and Austria
Vexes Germans.
WORRY FOR CHANCELLOR
BY RENE FEIBELMAN.

Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1917.
AMSTERDAM, Holland. November 10.
The rumors spread in Berlin that
Austria was about to annex Poland and
place 1t under Emperor Charles rule
| and that Prussia was to annex Lithu-
ania and Courland. while not denied by
,, the official press in Germany, were ener-
getically contradicted by influential news
papers like the Vossische Zeitung. which
has always taken lively interest in the
affairs of Russian Poland.
Berlin political circles consider that
handing over Poland to Austria, which
did not take a very glorious part In the
conquest Of the state, Is bound to cause
deep i'll feeling in Germany, thus nulli-
flying the efforts made by the German
troops in Italy to consolidate the Ger
man-Austrian alliance. 1t is held that
Austria is not entitled to get such an
enormous bit Of the cake coveted by
all the German nationalists- II this So
luton is to be enforced there will be
serious trouble. especially antiAustrian
trouble, in Germany.
Move Involves Danger.
On the other side the plan to annex
Lithuania and Courland to Prussia and
not to the German empire is bound to
have unpleasant and dangerous conse-
Quences. In the first place, the south
ern states-Bavaria, Baden and wurt-
temberg-have always opposed any In
crease In the power of Prussia They
have even opposed the partition OF
Alsace-Lorraine between Prussia and
Prussia more power. They are not
going to tolerate making Prussia more
formidable by the addition of 100000
square miles OF territory and millions
which took the most active part in
overrunning Russia, get nothing.
In the second place. many people in
Germany think that If the country
makes friends with Russia as a sequel
to the present war it may be able to
win. perhaps not this war, but the
next great struggle, as the combination
of Russian wealth and German organi-
zation would be the most formidable
ever witnessed in the earth's history.
in favor of easy terms for Russia be-
cause the plan of annexing two i'm
portant provinces conquered by brute
force would surely arouse feelings in
Russia identical with those aroused in
France by the seizure of Asace-Lor
raine.
Probably in Deadlock.
1t is believed that the German and
Austrian negotiations have reached
deadlock. Austria is asking for Po-
land under the threat Of not continuing
a fight which is now without the slight
est interest for her. Germany, unwill-
ing to accept and not daring to refuse.
the purpose of seeing what the public
opinion would be in the matter.
There is no doubt that the negotia-
tions between Vienna and Berlin are
lines. but in view of the discomfort
which the present revelations are
bound to cause in Germany. to say
nothing of the distrust which would be
aroused among the other nations when
they have proof as to how Germany un-
derstands a peace without annexations.
to which Count Won Hertling and Count
Czernin have pledged themselves. the
two governments will have to reduce
their extraordinary appetite for alien
territory.
Count Won Hertling Faces Trouble.
There are many indications that Count
Won Hertlings chancellorship will be
marked by as many difficulties as that of
his ill-Starred predecessor, DR.. MichaeliS.
Even his tenure Of office may be shorter:
1t already is apparent that influence has
been brought to bear by the kaiser and
his private advisers not to make too big
concessions to the socialists and radi-
Gals. Count Won Hertling promised the
radicals a number of portfolios in the
government and made the same promises
to the national liberals. 1t is now an
nounced that DR.. Friedberg. to whom the
seat IN Ihe fIuSSlan ministry Cred1teQ u
the national liberals was offered, declined
to accept it, because, as he said. his party
did not wish to join a government in
which the radicals would be all powerful.
This naturally caused a row among the
radicals and socialists. who denounce the
whole scheme as a maceuver to split up
the reichstag majority and form another.
possibly including the conservatives. cleri-
calls and national liberals, leaving the
radicals and socialists out. The situation
is serious one for Hertling, who seems
to have lost control of things. He is in
fluenced one day by the radicals and the
next by the kaiser and his pan-German
advisers. The reichstag session, in view
of all this, promises to be q lively one.