The Washington herald., 1921-01-10
THREATEN BREAD
STRIKE; AUSTRIAN
! CRISIS ALARMING
Socialists Use Situation
To Discredit Political
Opponents.


most as much attention in foreign
countries as they do here, where the
belief prevails that 1t makes little
difference what party or what men
control the government, since con-
Editions seem to be going from bad
10 worse.
After the recent elections, which
Resulted in a victory for the con-
rVative parties, the Socialists
ithdrew from the coalition gov
nment and left the two ministers
ON the other parties to carry on
e work of those who had resigneL
The interregnum lasted for about
Jour weeks, during which time ef-
Forts were made by DR.. Schober, the
president Of the Vienna police, to
! form a cabinet which should con-
tain experts without regard to their
political afiliations. Due to oppo-
eition on the part of the Pan-Ger-
mans, DR.. Schober's project failed
(and the government was finally
Formed by Prof. Michael Mayr. who
is chancellor and minister of for
eign affairs. The new cabinet is
| practically a continuation Of the
| former temporary cabinet. and con-
tains, in addition to DR.. Mayr, three
members of the Catholic party, the
other six being government officials
without party connections.
Was in Parliament in 1907.
DR.. Mayr is a professor in the
University Of Innsbruck, and was
nember Of the Austrian parliament
rom 1907 to 1911, and of the ma
ional assembly 1919 and 1920. He
also responsible for the revision
the Austrian constitution.
Heinl, minister of commerce; Han
s, minister of agriculture, and
Resch, minister Of public vel
are, are all important members of
The Catholic party and have had
political experience, either as mem
bers of the assembly or as cabinet
officers. The other ministers are
Fmembers of the Austrian bureau
cracy and are unknown outside the
departments with which they have
been connected.
Although only four of the mem
bers Of the cabinet belong to a
political party, the Catholic party
is to be held responsible for the
action Of the government, and the
indications are that the Socialists
will endeavor to make things as
uncomfortable for them as possible
q
being threatened.
1t is quite true that the quality
Of the bread now distributed is
very poor, due to a large percent
age OF the corn flour which il con-
tains: but this is by no means a
new or unusual state of affairs, and
the present government is, Of course,
not wholly responsible, since the
-four now being used was purchased
before this party came into control.
Nevertheless, the Socialists are
threatening a general strike il the
bread is not improved, and a local
strike of railroad men in Syria has,
already been started on this basis.
The fact that the present inferior
bread costs "a kronen to produce
and is sold by the government for
6 kronen is not taken into consid-
Grafton.
First Sessions Are Quiet.
Tn first days of the session of the
.Nationalrat have been very quiet
and have been taken up with the
discussion Of administrative matters.
Nothing exciting is likely to occur
when the Nationalrat and the Bun
desrat meet to elect the president of
Austria. It was expected that DR..
Mayr would be elected to this office.
but his having accepted the post of
chancellor in the cabinet eliminates
him from consideration.
Events in the Tyrol in connection
with the revival of the annual shoot
ing match or 'Landesschutzenfest"
OF the Tyrolese home guards threat
ened for a time to cause consider
able trouble. The Socialists declared
ri 70
a monarchicaI and reactionary dem
onstration, since those who would
take part were peasants or bour-
Eeois who were strongly anti-So-
ciaIistic. Another thing which
alarmed the Socialists was the fact
that delegations of Bavarian home
guards had been invited to partici-
nate in this festival. In order to
prevent this the Socialists called a
rthree days strike on the Tyrolese
railroads and even mobilized some
500 armed workmen to guard roads
on the Bayarian- -Tyrolese frontier.
The Italian military authorities at
Innsbruck offered assistance to the
local home guards in case the So
ciaIists should make attempts at
violence. Their Intervention, how
aver, was unnecessary: and although
there was considerable excitement,
there were no armed clashes.
Reports which have come to Aus
tria Of anti-German riots in Czecho-
Slovakia, especially Prague, have
aroused considerable feeling and may
sresult in strained relation between
the Czechs and the Austrians. Such
state of affairs would be partlcu-
krly unfortunate for the Austrians,
v upon the Czechs for their coal and
Sugar supplies.
Death Rate increases.
According to official medical re-
ports from Vienna. there has been
considerable increase in deaths over
births during the week ending No
vember 13, the deaths Of those over
so being disproportionately high
The death rate in Vienna however,
is still slightly lower than that of
Budapest.
Food conditions in Austria are par
tic1larly serious at this time. The
maintenance of the December bread
ration depended on the arrival of
barges up the Danube from Serbia.
These barges, however, had been held
ND by low water at Budapest, and IL
has been necessary to transfer their
cargo to the railroad. which has
caused considerable delay and an
Increase in the cost of bread, which
the population is not prepared to
meet Arrangements are being made
to buy $4,000 tons of wheat from
America, which will be shipped on
credit furnished by England; but in
he meantime an attempt is being
made to borrow 500 cars of wheat
from Germany and 800 cars from