Omaha daily bee., 1918-05-06
FOOD PROBLEM
DRIVES WEDGE IN
AUSTRIAN EMPIRE
Government Forced to Permit
Annexation Of Bohemia and
TyroI to Germany for
Feeding Purposes.

London, May s. mere are al
east a dozen different crises in
Austria today" wrote one OF the best
informed English correspondents yes
terday. "All these crises appear to
concentrate on the problem Of food.
Even the radical animostics Of the
composite empire, which have always
been the weak timber OF its struc-
ture, have been infamed into unusual
bitterness by sectional Jealousies
over food distribution.
"These crises appear TO have
reached a elimination in the govern
ment's decision 30 prorogue parlla-
fnent during the present phase OF the
war for the reason that it could not
help, but only hinder. in the solving
Of economic problems on which
everything depends, in the words OF
serni-oficial explanation.
Autocracy at the Helm.
parliamentary government, or
rather parliamentary debates, are to
be suppressed indefinitely and an
autocratie government will try to
hold the helm.
..For two months past the exaspera-
ton between the Slavonic sections
eli the Austrian population and the
other races sllas been at the highest
point OF tension The Germans have
been bullying Premier Won Scydlcr
with insoicnce which reached its
climax in the request that the Aus
trian frontier populations OF German
race should, for food supply purposes,
be annexed to Germany. Probably
nothing more significant OF the depth
III the present crises has occurred
than the fact that the Austrian gov
crnment felt compelled to yield COM
pIetely on this point. To many poll
ticians this yielding Of the food ad-
ministration in Bohemia and Tyrol
must seem 4 distinct step toward the
breaking up OF the Austrian empire"
Famine and Pestilence.
Some terrible pictures OF the food
situation in Bohemia have reached the
outside world through the cores
pondcnt of the Vienna Arbciter Zei-
lung, socialist, who accompanied the
emperor into these districts. He
wrote: Everywhere the emperor was
met BY deputations who described to
him dreadful scarcity OF food and
starvation suffered by the populace.
At Schluckenau deputation stated
that so per cent OF the population
was underfed and large proportion
81 the people we're unfit for work.
There is great deal OF hunger,
typhus and tuberculosis"
IA telegram via Amsterdam says
that several newspapers are skeptical
regarding the question whether IN the
interval it will be possible to create
basis giving better prospect tor
further parliamentary labors, The
Retlin Tageblatt says the principal
rc&son for the adjournment OF par
lament was the governments failure
to create a base for the formation oi
j majority and the crowns desire
to avoid debates on the emperor's
letter and on members of the house
of PARMA concerned.
Czech Union In Revolt.
Washington, May s.--Thc Czech
union, according to an official dis
patch today from Switzerland, has
addressed to the president of the
Hungarian chamber of deauties . let
ter stating their refusal 10 take part
II the meeting of the party leaders
which the president had convoked
and protesting against further post
ponement Of the plenary assembly OF
he chambers OF deputies.