Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-01-25

GERMk,srs VULNERABLE SPOT.
The most vulnerable point In that
German system which seeks to DOM
mate the world, and the weakest point
in its present organization for defensa.
is the Austro Hungarian empire with
its inherent problems. Bulgaria may
be humored along by the force Of her
extreme hatred for the Serb. Turkey
may be retained because she knows
she has not a natural ally In Chftsten-
dom other than Germany. But Austria
Hungary, the very middle o. waist
line" so to speak, of the anGermao
scheme of Middle Europe, Is rotten
with discomfort, disunity and rebel
lion.
For many months there have been
mutterings of popular opposition to
the war. But late reports OF gem
eral strike and Of dangerous atti-
tude of the people toward the war and
toward Germany give warrant for the
hope that the situation is serious. The
peace strike Is ended. but the unrest
continues and next time 1t may break
out more fiefcely.
The demands of the German repre-
sentatives at the BestLttovsk peace
conference fall far short Of general
approval In the dual monarchy. The
bolshevik peace program Is entirely
satisfactory to Austria and the tact
that the German junkers alone stand
in the way of that program in the face
of the extreme suffering and desire
for peace throughout the dual mon
archy has put the people In an ugly
mood. Interesting also is the report
that President Wilson's recent state
ment of American war aims has
reached a responsive chord tn the
Austrian breast
Suategists and observers Of world
conditions have long looked to Aus
trfa-Hungary for possible civil up
heaval which might end the W1r. For
Angtrixs past treatment Of peoples
not Of her own race constitutes q sin
which WIS bound some day to find
her out. OF population Of $1,000, 900
in the empire but z2.00O 900 are Aus
TRANS and Magyars. OF the remainder
$4,000, 900 are Slavs. unwilling sub
jects of German rule, and 4.000,0 900 are
Rumanians and Italians, of course un-
friendly to the Vienna government
Unfortunately the Slav zones of
opulatioo are separated into two main
groups at the northern and southern
ends of the empire. They are also
separated by religion and historic
Yet as the pinch Of war
grows more and more acute and as
outside Influences coupled with social
democratic propaganda increase dis
content it is not vain to hope for grave
Little serious atten-
ton was paid to the rumblings OF
revolution in Russia. But the revolu-
ton came and it has cut big figure
in the history Of the war.
These facts are not cited to inspire
a hope that Austria may prove the
too weak link In the Teuton chain Of
warfare and compel the kaiser to yield
to his enemies while still his armies
are on foreign soil. Instead they are
called to illustrate the grievous blum
der which the allies permitted Italy
to make in actually invading Austria
without sufficient reinforcing strength
of guns and munitions to maintain the
Cadorna had won.
Had the italian armies been given
lut SuppOII WhOAA A0<0A Voc ANSASN
to their aid when the combined armies
of the central powers overran Italy
and threatened France, they could
have forced Austria's gateway and
carried the war into the territory OF
the enemy at its most vulnerable
spot It is too late to mourn for what
might have been, to be sure, but it is
not too late to take a lesson from It
America has rebuked England and
France for the political blunder which
into a major war blunder.
The inter-Alied council has been
formed to prevent a recurrence. But
America herself is as little prepared
for emergencies as was the entente.
To be frank, she Is less prepared than
were the European allies. A war cab
inent in Washington is of more import
ance to America just now than IS an
intar-allied war council at Versailles,
and it is inviting disaster to refuse to
recognize this fact
CHARGED WITH STEALING BOND.
ST. Louis, Mo-, Jan. 23.-Harry w.
Leeman, twenty years railway mail
clerk, of Burlington, Iowa, was arrest
ed here while trying 10 dispose OF a
500 Liberty Bond, which federal
authorities say he later admitted hav.
ing extracted from a letter addressed
to the National Bank OF Commerce, OF