Evening star., 1918-05-26
By CHARLES M. PEPPER.

g 0IENNA as q way station to
MI Constanople and Bagdad-
w That is the real meaning Of
" the visit of the Austrian
kaiser to the German kaiser and the
understanding which was reached be-
tween the house of Hapsburg and
the house of Hohenzollern.
It signifies the economic vassalage
OF Austria to Germany. It also indis-
Gates that Austria-Hungary becomes
. mere blank in the Teutonic policy
while Constantinople and the strip
Of Turkish territory in Europe be-
come the real base Of German expan-
sion in the near east. That Is. 1t
means all these things IL a German
peace shall be made and the United
States and the allies would consent
to sacrifice Russia and the near east
for the sake of a false peace in the
west Of Europe.
The passing of Austria Hungary as
an economic unit In Central Europe
nevertheless seems likely. The war
lords of Germany have been able to
tighten their grip. and Austria, in
accepting the military supremacy Of
Berlin, also accepts the economic su-
premacy. Thus the great obstacle to
khe middle Europe scheme is removed.
n
/ Frederick Naumann and the other
iexponents Of this idea realized fully the
difficulties IN the way of middle Eu-
rope as an economic and military
block so long as Austria-Hungary
was not reduced to vassalage. They
also recognized frankly that the
question was both military and eco
nomic. With the Austrian emperor
making his submission to Germany
the obstacle is removed SO far as the
house Of Hapsburg can remove 1t.
What the situation will be later.
when Germany has to face the task
-Spf reconciling the many nationalities
which compose the Austrian empire
80 this vassalage. no one can predict
ciliation will have to be accomplished
by military force. For the present.
the German plans are free to be
worked out under war conditions.
The first step in these plans. as ex-
pounded by Naumann and his disci-
piles. was to make Of Austria-Hun-
gary a great granary or storehouse
for "the next war" This notion of
providing food supplies for the next
war is the cardinal one in the middle
Europe scheme. Since virtually all
Hungary and some parts of Austria
are agricultural regions. they nat
rally form the basis for storing up
supplies. Turkey in Europe offers
nothing of this kind. 1t is simply the
strategic outpost. and it would draw
on the Austro-Hungarian granary
the same as Germany, if the food sup
plies for the next war should be
etored up according to the middle
Europe plan.
This plan. however. is not fruition.
Obtaining food so as to keep both
Germans and Austro-Hungarians
from starvation during the present
was is a much more pressing problem
than providing a food supply for the
next war.
Austria, Notwithstanding her agri-
cultural resources. has been unable to
feed herself. No doubt exists as to the
lack of food in the dual empire. 1t is
admitted in Vienna. and is even given
as an excuse for the political unrest
and for the popular demand for peace
Austria has confessed her inability
10 provide food in the Tyrol and in
Bohemia In passing that task on to
Germany she makes confession Of her
economic vassalage. Also, she con-
Tesses her inability to hold the en-.
Pire together.
It may be that Germany will sue
Eeed in providing food enough for
the Tyrol so that it will continue to
be q trustworthy base for military
operations against Italy. but since
There IL SO large an Italian population
$n the Austrian Tyrol. the probability
is that the German war machine will
l be kept pretty busy there, and the
German propaganda will have to
fhe gratitude Of the people being fed
by Germany.
~
Bohemia Is q moro disturbing fac
ass1taHAisaa- other. agricultural rro.