The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1918-10-17
AUsTRIA'S IMMINENT COLLAPSE.

AustIo-huhgafan government Tor MS good ofnceS IN
arranging for armistice and peace negotiations Many
events Of great Importance have occurred since the
United States declared itself at war against Austria
Hungary in December, 1917. Among these are;
The recognition Of the Czecho.Slovak de facto gov
eminent and its army cObeligerent with the allies.
The recognition Of the independent national aspira-
tons Of the Jugo-Slavs
The Austrian defeat on the Pave
The Brest-LitOvsk treaty.
The Bucharest treaty
The German reverse on the western front.
The allied offensive in the Balkans.
Surrounding and affecting all political questions is the
amportant military of the enemy. 1t is this
that compes Germany Austria-Hungary and Turkey to
for peace and as the becomes defeat and
then overwhelming catastrophe the enemy nations will
be forced to do the allies will to obtain peace Before
that hour which clearly foreseen by the enemy gov
ernments they will endeavor in every way to wheedle
from the allied powers cessation of the hammerne
that is knocking to pieces the thrones of the HohenzO
Terms, Hapsburgs and Ottoman sultans.
A year ago the United States, as President Wilson
justly said did not concern itself with the internal po-
ltica policies of Austria Hungary. But those poll
ces part and parcel of the issues Of the war They
must be nulifed and made as obsolete as the policy Of
the Hohenzoerns This course is necessary not because
the United States government is in danger from the
Hapsburg system but because liberty is throttled by
that system Nations entitled to life liberty and the
pursuit of happiness will perish if the Hapsburg system
and policies are permitted to outlive this war. The
same liberty that makes the United States strong and
able to champion the of democracy imperied
by Austria Hungary That government rests upon the
denial of liberty to its people If it granted liberty the
itself would be committing suicide for it is
of the few governments earth that medieval
izing of the Austro Hungarian is equivalent
to its determination,
Look at what ria-Hungary did and attempted to
do at and Bucharest what she did to Serbia
in collision with the traitorous Bugars what she did
to Italy The most ingenious expedens of falsehearted
and rapacious German diplomacy found strong support
and assistance from the cuprs who acted in behalf Of
the Hapsburgs. ustra-Hungary is actually at this mo-
ment complaining to Germany because that wide-awake
and 'loya" ally was first in extortng 6OOO,OO0,O0O
roubles from Russia after peace that was advertised
to be based upon mo annexatons and no ndemntes :"
Austria got in the ground floor in securing
tons in Galcia Poland, Roumania and elsewhere but
she not in quite close touch" with the boshevi
the Germans who arranged for the shipment of
Russian gold to Berlin, process that is now going
at the moment when Germany asks for "peace based
upon justice"
The Austrian defeats on the Piaye and in Albania
are irremediabe, for the reason that the Hapsburg
finances in state of collapse and because the food
srngency has cut down the effectiveness of that part
of the army that is loyal From almost any viewpoint
it is evident that the days of the AustrOHungarian
pire are numbered The recognition of the Czecho-
Slovaks and the JugoSavs hte determination of all the
allies to for Italy all of the Italian portion of
Austria, the collapse of Bulgaria and the imminent col
lapse of Turkey the desperate interior conditions of
bankruptcy famine and revolthese and other factors
combining to eliminate from the list of nations that
central European power that has been the buwark of
reaction and oppression for 500 years.
Out Of Austria Hungary's territory will emerge new
and independent nations, absolutely sefgovernng and
without any political connection whatever with the house
of Hapsburg. These nations may form federation of
states they may mott that is for them to decide when
they have achieved their independence The pretense
of the present Austro Hungarian that it is
now engaged in "lberalizing" and "federazing" and
branding autonomy to the oppressed nations under
its domination is monstrous fasehood which President
Wilson and doubtless will eectualy expose.-Wash-
ington Post.