The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-05-31
BY FRANK sIMoNDs

sFNAINN 9tM0tNOS
(Copyrfgnt, 1919 by The Mcclure News
paper Syndicate1
While the Germans are still deba-
ting the peace terms served upon them
the Austro-Hungafian empire is in it's
turn passing before the conference of
Paris and, in fact, submitting to final
dissolution. No single change folloY-
ing the war can have more far-reach-
ing effects for the future in Europe
than the total liquidation of that en-
pire which only few brief months
ago was, next to Russia, the largest in
area on the continent, and next to
Russia and Germany the largest in
population.
Today, as result of the settlement
which was made In the treaty of ST.
German, the Austrians and Hunga-
rians who combined to rule an en-
pire of 260,000 square miles, with a
population of more than fifty-one mil
lions, will find themselves restricted
to an area Of little more than 100000
square miles and a population of hard
ly fifteen millions. This population
and this area will be fairly evenly
divided between the two ruling races
Of the old Austro-Hungarian empire,
lu0 anu Ill6 N1dSy 5.
Complete Disruption
We have, then, a complete disrup-
ton of one of the great empires of
modern history. A hundred years ago
at the congress of Vienna, Austria, rep
resented by Metternich, had decisive
influence. For forty years thereafter,
this influence remained. Prior to the
congress of Vienna, France and Aus.
tria for two centuries had been rivals
for the re-birth of national aspirations
among the subject peoples of the Haps
burg empire. Above all, the Pan-Slav
aspirations of the Serbs, Poles, CZechs
Croats and Slovaks have combined tc
destroy utterly what has been one Of
the most powerful forces in European
history.
1t is worth recalling again that this
world war which we are now liQuidat
ing had it's occasion in the assassina
tion of the Austrian Archduke at Ser
ajevo just five years ago. 1t is worth
remembering that this war had its
origin in the conviction held alike in
Vienna, Budapest and Berlin. that the
result of the Balkan wars had doomed
the Hapsburg edifice unless prevent
i've war could postpone the evil day
The majority of the subjects of Fran
els Joseph were Slav. At no distant
time, this majority would assert its
right and change the whole course OF
Austro-Hungarian policy. Archduke
Francis Ferdinand himself, forseeing
the inevitable change, was preparing
| to admit the Slavs into the new Aus
tro-Hungarian federation when the
| assassin's bullet terminated his life
and the last hope of salvation for the
empire which would have been his.
Dependent on Germans.
The Austrians challenged the Serbs
| because the ruling race believed thai
| if Serbia were crushed, the Slav:
within the empire would be cowed an6
| forced to abandon separatist aspira
tions. Germany supported Austria be
cause German hopes and ambitions
rested squarely upon the preservation
of the existing rulers In the Austro
! Hungarian empire. When Russia tool
up the cause of the Serbs, when France
and Great Britain were brought inev
itably into the struggle, when Italy
| finally enlisted, then it became cleal
/ that whatever were the other issues
/ of the war, only German victory coulC
save Austria. With the fall of Rus
sia, Allied plans for the partition Of
Austria Hungary we're temporarily laiC
aside, but with the sudden change IL
the situation last summer, and tht
collapse OF Austria at Piave las
] autumn the Hapsburg monarchy su