Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1918-02-21
AUSTRIAN POLICY
IS UNDER CHANGE

'
Austria had seen all her enemies de
stroyed: ii the isonzo front could be
cleared all Austrian territory would be
iree and ali Austrian purpose in the
war achieved.
In sum. then. Austria has been freed
by Germany, first. of her chief peril.
Russia. Not only has Russia been de-
leated. in tile field and rolled back into
Russian territory. but The Russian
revolution has so disorganiHcd Russia
and SO destroyed Russian impcrlalistic
aims that Austria has no longer To fear
her great SlaV neiehbor in amy future
that cam NoW be calculated. I'm the
same fashion first Serbia and then Ru-
mania have been crushed and Two
smaller states ambitious TO dismember
Austria and reclaim fractions of their
own races put out of the discussion.
fodaN ltumania is concerned iii getting
back what was hers before the war.
as in Serbia. rather than IN conuuerins
! Austrian hands.
Finally. Italy has been defeated and
has lost half of Nenetia. Austria does
not plan To hold this conquered ter
ritory, but il is Il basis for negotiating
and for compelling Italy To withdraw
from Albania and To surrender her am
hitions to dominate the eastern shores
Of the Adriatic Sea. Con%ccivahly. but
i~mprobablN. Austria NIGH, make small
concessions in the Trcntino TO get a
prompt peace with Italy. but in amy
event Italy has ceased to he a peril:
the sole remaining danger has been
abolished.
Up to the moment Italy was defeated
Austria depended upon Germany for
aid. She had been compelled 10 sur
render her military and in a large
measure her political freedom to save
herself, to get German divisions on her
w front. And up to this time the
war had been a wai for existence: she
had been invaded by Russia in Galicia.
by Rumania in Transylvania, by Ser
bia i'm Bosnia. by Italy in the Trentlno
and about Gorilla; she could only think
OF peace as a thing to be purchased at
a price. the price of her own territor-
les. And so she continued to march
under German orders and to accept
without protest, for none was possible:
German ambitions in all quarters OF
Europe, Asia and Africa.
Today Austria no longer needs Ger
many in the military sense. she gan
defend all of her own frontiers against
any enemy she has to fear i'm the near
future. And his freedom from fear OF
: also from German political control. The
victory of The upper Isonzo. the defeat
of Italy, whatever it did to allied
hopes in the war. actually set Austria
free from German leading strings so
far as foreign affairs were concerned.
Badly in Need Of Peace.
Now Austria needs peace even more
than Germany; she has suffered more.
both by invasion and proportionately
if not absolutely, in casualties. Her
economic and industrial condition.. bad
I when the war came, has suffered far
moro than the better organized Ger
inan fabric, and whatever be the state
of German finances Austria is approx
inlately ruined, and may be permanent
~ ruined, if the war continues for more
months. and oven years. Moreover, the
masses o.. SlaV population in Austria.
lr4if OF The population. are beginning to
De 9crineated with Russian revolution
are doctrines. while domestic distress
and disorder are increasing.
.Naalu on thu political side Austria
Is iujlted 4" German, in IA marriage of
o,uE, uleIlee rather than ot real affec-
tlrn. Austrian necessities have cone
le'lrd Austria 10 play a i,tn'iliatins
! role fcs many wears. but Austria. speak
nag tor Ne ruling classes. had al old
Hnd II ~ bile HISTORY. looked at mere
nflfciic~ ~ i~.tropeall affairs, for cen
TUNES before Prussia cam" to suprem-
;u.t in G".imstNH. after defeating Aus
+ trian vrBaics at SadoWa. It scant half
ttltur, ego
fAl"4teneG rn tin, one side by rus
~ia and 90 the other Is Italy, the 1laps-
oulHs laye had no choice but to march
&.th and unicr tne Hollerzulicrns but
lhty have not enjoyed The thing and
the, have not tailed on occasion Ia
give cyidenrY Of their resentment.
hardly concealed their contempt for the
ruling family III Austria. But today
t}I-sia has collapsed and italy has been
defeated Austria has nothing to fear
outside Of her frontiers: her sole fear.
come iron within. where domestic dis.