New-York tribune., 1918-11-01
Demand for Peace Seen as
Sudden Collapse of
Decadent Monarchy
Rats Have Deserted
Sinking German Ship
Berlin's Assumption of Vic
tory in Armistice Talk
Rewilders French
r...,c, Ccblc to The T,Tbrne)


-,.,, ,ois New York Tribune mc.l
rAP,s Oct. Sl.-Thc Austrian de-
n,a FOR neacc is having the effect on
p..;n of q veritable coup de theatre.
.,non,rat;op has naturally been rife for
evera' weeks as to how long Austria
a,,d hc able to remain quiescent
.,dor tbe strain of President Wilson's
.cornful "wait and sec" response which
vas added to one of his notes to Ger
many. but probably nobody here eN-
,ac+ed that the empire of the Haps-
,urgs, dryrotten as it has been for
esnturies. would collapse with such
oramatic suddenness.
No doubt is felt here that the Aus
trjan cry for mercy marks the definite
end Of Austria as composite political
kingdom and also of both Austria and
Hungary as individual powers.
It is noted that Andrassy speaks in
Ahe corporate name Of the Austro-Hun-
carian government as though the Dual
Monarchy still exists and as if Austria
r,cre not in the throes of rapid decom-
position and Hungary were not in the
full tide of revolution. This factor is
regarded here as to great extent dis
counting the political value of the Aus
trian note. so far as any possible dlplo-
matte conversations are concerned.
In the present domestic, circum-
stances in Austria Hungary it is in
tvitable that President Wilson, before
<lo{s ,to fn
+, ote. must repeat at least one of the
questions he has already put to Max
md request the Austrian Foreign Min
lister to state on behalf of whom he
has signed his appeal.
The Final Collapse
As Paris sees it, the nature OF any
conversation that may follow between
the President and Andrassy is matter
of quite minor Importance. The out
standing feature of the new situation
which has been set up by the Austrian
note is that it's dispatch merks un-
lGoubtedly the final collapse of Ger
lmany's whole diplomatic position.
The Austrian rats have definitely de-
serted the German ship. The founda-
tons of the monstrous alliance which
Hcr four years has enabled Germany to
hel5 tne NOrlu III arms nave COlldpScu
like house OF cards. All that re-
.nained of the Triple Alliance has van
.lshed Germany is left absolutely
alone. and cannot possibly continue Che
stupid policy of bluff and hollow pre-
tence which she maintained till now.
With Austria down and out. there
VIII be nothing to prevent Italian, Ru-
manian and Serbian troops from as
sailing Germany's eastern frontiers in
exactly the same way as Turkeys west
ern frontiers were opened to the Allies
Dy the collapse of Bulgaria.
H;ndenburg Must Go
IN the light OF the thunder fash OF
;nis evening Paris has already for.
gotten Gcrmany's gratuitous reply tc
Wilson's note, the text Of which was
published this morning. IN view of the
astonishing developments reported
simultaneously in regard to the res
ignation or dismissal of Ludendorff
and the probability that Hindenburg
viii meet the same fate in the next few
hours. il he has not already done so,
people here rubbed their eyes when
they read the cool statement that "the
German government is now awaiting
proposals for the armistice," and asked
themselves whether the Germans had
'eaiiJ won after all, that they should