Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-07
I'd SOMETHING INTERESTING HERE TO REAL
Lack of Bread Is Bringing Austria
to the Verge of Bloody Revolution
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Continued from Page One
at least. But instead of the trium.
phant entry into Venice which the
Austrian staff had anticipated came
the rout on the banks Of the Piave,
definitely extinguishing the Pickering
military prestige of the doomed EN-.
pire.
Italy Dealt Death Blow
When the Austrian offensive against
Italy began all the Austriars with
whom | had occasion TO talk hero In
switzerland unanimously confeesod
This Is the last great military effort
Of which our country Is capsble. NJ
II fails, chaos will follow!" They also
added with emphasis that Austria had
been extremely unwilling to risk this
attack. but that Germany had brought
irresistible pressure to bear upon tbe
young Emperor and had comne,ind
him to order his troops to advance
across. the Piave. This is probably
true. but II only proves again that
Emperor Charles Is too weak 70 bc
anything but an instrument in tj,c
hands of the German Government
The youthful monarch does not lack
sense. he was not optimistic. He
realized that. while the German states.
men and generals urged that he could
only hope to preserve his crown by a
great victory in Italy, their, remedy
against revolution might prove worse
than the disease, and that if the Of
fensive failed the doom of the House
of Hapsburg was sealed. At the last
moment he sent his Prime Minister,
Baron Burian. to Berlin to try to i'm.
duce the Kaiser to free Austria from
her rash pledge to support the German
offensive i'm France by Il similar at
tack In Italy. But the Kaiser re-
mained sternly obdurate and Emperor
Charles submitted weakly. With slight
hopes of success and lively apprehcn.
sions of disaster he gave the order to
attack. On the same day the weekly
bread rations of the Austrian people
were reduced to $50 grams. or ninety
grams 2 day. Under these evil aus
piCes the Austrian offensive began.
and ended a week later in ignominious
defeat.
Bread Lack Causes tpheavaI
The reduction of the weekly bread
ration has caused an immense popular
upheaval throughout Austria. Ninety
just enough to make one sandwich, no
more. Here in Switzerland we have
225 grams a day and we think it
little. The decree of the Austrian
Government means starvation, moth
ing less. and its publication reused
the workingmen. who can obtain
scarcely any food with which to re-
place bread to rebellion at the very
moment when the Emperor's armies
were retreating. routed, over the
flooded Piave.
Al. A tn
which followed the reduction of the
bread rations and the defeat on the
Piave are but Just now beginning tC
reach Switzerland. The Austrian cen
sorship has made strenuous efforts &c
| keep them secret and the Vienna and
Budapcs papers have not been al
lowed to publish more than vague
hints aboR what is going on in the
realm of the Hapsburgs. These pre-
cautions are very comprehensive.
For, as a matter of fact. there has
been a general revolutionary strike in
Austria and Hungary during the last
week. and "wOrIimen's committees
at Vienna and Budapest have dictated
! their conditions to Emperor CharleS's
| inundated ministers quite after the
fashion of the "SOviets" In the early
days of the Russian revolution.
The existence of a powerful centra
"workmens committee" in Vienna. or
ganiZed on Russian lines was first re
| vealed during the strikes which broke
| out in Austria several months ago II
! protest against the prOrogation of the
| Reichsrat. 1t is now apparent thai
| this committee. or council of work
inCmen" c"Arbeiterrato, was never
dissolved. but continued to exercise :
dominant influence over the proleta
| rian masses. and that the Vienna Gov
| ernment has been compelled to recog
nize it AS a permanent representative
institution of the Austrian working
men and to negotiate accordlngI,
with its members from time to time.
Socialists to Frame Manifests
As soon as the Government pro
ella imed the reduction Of the bread IA
tions strikes began to break out pre-
mscously. The Austrian Socialis
party issued a manifesto to the work
ers Of both sexes advising them t.
remain calm and to refrain from al
acts of violence until the council q
workingmen" had had time to take
decision. That same evening the CON
mittee held a meeting in the Railway
mems Home" at Vienna. Four hur
dred delegates We're present. tnan
mously the following resolution wa
adopted and Immediately published a
proclamation to the working classes
The council of workingmen de-
mands that the reduction of the
bt cad rations ordered by the Gov
ernment he speedily Cancelled and
that. so long AS this is Impossible,
other food he supplied TO the work
ers in sufficient quantities to replace
+ bread In consequence of the short
age of rationed food the workmen
must at least be enabled to buy food
which is not rationed. For this pur'
pose their pay must he adequately
! increased. On the other hand, the
: workmen have been weakened phys
ically to such an extent through
, lack of proper sustenance that it is
necessary to shorten their working
hours without diminishing their pay
This applies particularly to all in
dustrics where night work and =
twelve. e.hour.day is established.
The council of workingmen de
!, clares its conviction that rea