Evening star., 1922-10-20
SOC|A[|STSRU RULE.
| IN AUSTRIAN army
Military Forces Lose Ef'
fectiveness Under Peace
Time Leaders.
ny A. n. DECKER.

BY A. n. DECKER.
By Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News.
VIENNA, Austria, October 19.-The
Austrian minister for war has issued
q call for recruits. This does not
mean q reversion to militarism. nor
does it portend serious events on the
Austrian frontier. The peace treaty
allows Austria an army Of 26.500 men.
1000 underofncers and 1900 officers.
The total strength of the present
army is only about $4,000. The rea-
son is poor pay and the length OF
service-twelve years-imposed by
the peace treaty About the only
trian army is the assurance OF hay
ing the European two square meals
daily. Therefore. only the most
helpless join for so long term.
Several attempts have been made
snaI feou purely 'ae aecialissic % form' rserutsd
almost entirely from socialist Vienna,
it was slightly transformed to in
clude less radical elements from the
provinces. But during this reorgani-
hold. Recruits known to have social
ist leanings were sent to the recruit.
ing stations in the provinces and
were given preference. Christian
socialists were discarded by the ex-'
amining doctors. who had been APP
Although Chancellor Alois Seipel IL
leader of the Christian social party
the present governmental party
the socialists really rule. They rule
responsible. This they do by having
control Of the unions. syndicates.. the
socialistic army and by appeal to
direct opposition to governmental
measures. Ends are obtained by
strikes and sabotage.
Government Lacks Force.
Even though the present army is
less radical than was that OF q Few
years ago. it is still controlled by the
socialist leaders. and is not an in
strument on which the government
could depend. This explains why
every government that has tried to
bring order to Austria has failed.
No government has had a dependable
force behind 1t. The police force
alone could be relied upon. but 1t
il: not, strong enough. ANY serious
attempt to correct the evils that are
numbers, banknote imitation, non-col-
lection Of taxes. short hours of labor.
limited output--Would meet the OPP
position of the socialists and bring
about a general strike, with revolu-
ton and chaos following.
That is why Minister Of Defense
Baugoin is trying to bring new re-
cruits into the army. and Is urging
non socialists to enlist. An effort to
disband the present army and form
a new one was forbidden by the en-
tente. Correspondence exists 10 show
that western member of the entente
protested against the formation Of an
army that would really represent
Austria and offer some real protec-
ton.
II any doubt exists regarding the
nature of the present Austrian army
few passages from an editorial in
the socialist Arbeiter-Zeitung will
clear them.
The bourgeo!sie always complain that
the present army is not suitable for
government of strong fist.' says the
newspaper. Earlier. and even today in
| al countries except Austria, the army
was blind instrument in the hands of
! the bourgeois capitalists. If the hunger
ing workers struck or revolted the bat
talions marched.
Deprived Of Bayonet..
I'm Austria the bayonet has been re-
moved from the control of the bour-
geosie. AS an instrument to promote
the rule OF the capitalists 1t is useless.
The army will not march against the
workers who defend their rights as Sc
| cured by the republican Constitution.
| This IL a painful fact for the bourgeoisie