The Washington herald., 1918-03-24

The Committee on Public Infor-
nation has received the following
translation of an account of the
strike in Austria published in the
Frankfurter Zeitung, January "a:
Explains Strike.
Vienna. Jan. 2O.-May be it is a
secret which nobody should know
except the enemy-whO, strange as
it may seem, learns all about it in
spite Of censorship and mail restric-
tions. At any rate it is a fact that
one of the most extensive strikes
RACES in Vienna Lower Austria.
Brunn and Budapest. that we can
recall, and that al this moment moth
ing can be said as to its duration
or its probable outcome.
1t is for these reasons the best
thing for US to do. instead of partic-
ipating in the general tactics of
Concealment to state the facts, as
is our duty. Strikes always serve
a purpose. Perhaps its anXiously
desired settlement is quicker
reached. when its causes, prospects
and aims are clearly stated to those
whom IL may concern.
1T came about suddenly and un-
expectedly. surprising for the au-
thorities and the socialist party ad-
ministration; as a matter of fact, it
was a surprise to the working
classes themselves also. When on
Monday the IA inst. it became
known that the flour rations were
to be cut short. that the price of
tobacco was to be doubled and that
the negotiations at BTest-Litovsk
reached a hitch, the men in one of
r,lnnNa Af INip~ar-Nnn
stadt left off work and walked into
the street.
On Tuesday the whole district of
wiener-Newstadt was on strike.
comprising $4,000 workingmen. On
wednesday strikes broke out in
Vienna and on Friday the newspaper
compositors quit work notwith=
standing the urgent advice to the
contrary by the socialist party ad-
ministration.
On Saturday following nobody re-
mained at work except those en-
gagged in alimentary production and
the transfer service. Up to then
public order was in no way disturb
ed.=nor were plumbers committed. The
men upheld their own discipline: the
more serious the movement should
have been regarded.
FIoar Situation.
In Austria the conception of gov
ernment is assumed TO consist in the
disconnectedness of the different OFF,
ciaI stewardships of so many branches
Of administration. Of whom each fol-
lows its own particular departmental
consignments.
When the -four export from Hungary
discontinued and when further de-
Iiveries Of this and other commodities
from Hungary became questionable.
the Austrian Alimentation Office came
to the inevitable conclusion that the
weekly -four ration will have to be
reduced by one-fifth as a precaution
against absolute inadequaey.
This fact was thereupon publicly an
nounced and generally regarded as a
proper step under the circumstances
None of the other governmental Offices
regarded il as their duty to think over
the efrect which such an announce
ment is likely to have on the peace
pourparies at Brest-Litovsk; nor was
the foreign ofice previously informed
of such a notice to be published
Section Chief Ritter Won Scheuehen-
stuel. chief of the tobacco monopoly
OF the empire. also acted perfectly in
the law when he annoupced the In
crease Of the prices OF tobacco as be-
ing due to the reduction Of the auan-l
titles Of raw material ON hand To- one
third OF the demand and as it is neccs-1
sary TO realize the same revenue a.,
oe Old 1t Is hard 10 say what affects
the population more. shortness in fiour