New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-08-28
AUSTRIA SHAKEN BY
SUCCESS OF ALLIES
Country Reported to Be Border
ing on a Panic

Paris, Aug. 2S-AdNlceS from SW1tZ-
erland present the condition of Aus
tria as bordering on panic. The Ital-
ian victories have caused such alarm
III Vienna that the Emperor rushed
to the front and made radical changes
In the high command in an unsuccess-
full effort to stem the tide. The AUS
TRAN press hardly ventures to dis
cuss the military situation, despite the
fact that a battle is raging on which
the fate Of the Empire may depend.
On the heels of the barely crushed
revolution in Bohemia comes trouble
in Pennsylvania. said to be due to the
refusal of the agricultural interests to
accept the official terms for the regu-
lation and sale Of their produce More
definite facts are not known, as Trans
sylvania is under martial law and pre-
tically cut off from the rest Of the
country.
How serious agriculture's attitude
throughout the Empire has become
may be judged from the fact that the
secret economic conference between
representatives of Germany and Aus
tria- Hungary, which began on Aug. Z
and was intended to settle mutual
food distribution for the Winter, had
to be abandoned without accomplish
ing anything, owing, it is stated to
universal opposition of the agrarian
interests.
The failure of the peace maneuvers
proved a terrible shock, as the WORD
had gone out, from the highest quarter
that peace was certain almost imme-
diateIy. In this connection the En-
peror and Empress are SAID to nave
declared repeatedly that they were de-
\ hnr win Of
war at all costs.
Austrian Obstacles to Peace.
Hitherto there have been two OBJ
stacles to Austrian peace; first, their
refusal to abandon Trieste and Trente
to Italy; secondly, fear-for any
friendlier feeling has disappeared
of Germany. Now Italy bids fair to
settle the first difficulty once for all.
The Austrian army is Keeling and If
the Italian effort can be maintained
sudden Austrian disaster may follow.
German prestige has received a we'll
nigh fatal blow at Verdun and loss of
the Mort Homme and Hill 3O4-the
position labeled by the Germans them
selves as the key pivot of the West
ern front-could not be hidden and
caused an enormous sensation. A
prominent Austrian in Berne was
heard to remark on receiving the news
that the world might come to regard
Mort Homme as the beginning of the
German debacle. He spoke French,
and NV informant cites the phrase as
"Ie Mort Homme est Francois mails
il Sc peut bien que Thomme mort soft
Allenland"-a cynical pun which is
striking commentary on the present
Austro-German relations.
Rerne has become the center of
Austrian activities. Under the lead
ership Of the veteran diplomat Count
Goluchowski, whose pro-Ally and anti
Prussian sentimentS are no secret
there is assembled y powerful and
busv group of Austrian intriguers.
Highly placed personages come and
go mysteriously and my informant de-
c1ares one constantly hears on Aus
TRAN lips expressions of incompati-
bilitv. if not actual hostility, toward
Germany.
The German legation at Berne is
hardly less active, and it is possible
that Berlin is willing to permit the
| Austrian maneuvers as an easy meth
| cd Of testing the Allies peace pulse.
! General Swiss opinion Judge otherwise,
| and concludes that Austria is on the
| verge Of trying to negotiate peace at
any price" even should rupture with
| Germany be included in the sum to-
tai.