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Show A ustria-Hungary Is on the Brink of a Revolution Anti-Prussians in Rebellion; Bohemians Bohemi-ans Desert by Thousands Whenever When-ever Opportunity Affords. By CARL W. ACKERMAN, ; Special Correspondent of the New York Tribune and Salt Lake Tribune. i (Copyright, 1917, by the Tribune Association.) (Registered in accordance with the copyright copy-right act, Canada, 1917, by the Tribune Association.) IT is Austria-Hungary, not Germany, Ger-many, that is today ripe for a revolution. The liberty-loving Hungarians, the Russian loyal Slavs and the oppressed Bohemians, Bohe-mians, who are in the majority in the dual monarchy, will be the first to be inspired by the "new Russia." Rus-sia." These people hate the Germans. Ger-mans. For nearly a century they have tormented the Hapsburg dynasty dy-nasty and kept Austria-Hungary in a whirlpool of uncertainty. At every great crisis iu the war the country has been' on the verge of a collapse. It is not so in Germany. Germany Ger-many as a nation ia young, and its inhabitants are mostly Germans. While there ia dissatisfaction, discontent dis-content and distress, there is a unity of purpose and a national ideal. The German people believe the world is leagued against the German Ger-man race. They believe all Germans Ger-mans must "stick together. " They believe Kaiser "Wilhelm will be able to get better German peace terms than a divided nation under a reformed government, and as long as they believe this political changes in Germany are likely to be evolutionary, not revolutionary. Germany will be affected by a reformed re-formed Russia chiefly through her neighbor and biggest ally. Bargain With Socialists. The German Socialists will demand de-mand liberaJization and will probably prob-ably get it, because the kaiser and Chancellor von Bethmann-Hollweg know that Germany 's greatest task now is to hold Austria-Hungary together. to-gether. A revolution there would shake the political foundations of Germany, , break the solidarity of central Europe and make it impossible impos-sible for "almighty Germany" to continue the war. Therefore, the chancellor may be expected to promise prom-ise the German Socialists extensive exten-sive reforms in retarn for their support. sup-port. Germans Lack Civil Leaders. The German people lack a militant mili-tant leader. Ao man with influence influ-ence and the confidence of the public is willing to take a chance in starting a revolution. Philip Scheidemann, the powerful Socialist So-cialist member of the reichstag, could lead a revolt against the Ho-henzollerns, Ho-henzollerns, but he will do so only when he is convinced he can succeed. suc-ceed. Unlike Russia, Germany has (Continued on Pags Five.) Mll-IH! IS MEM TO REVOLUTION (Continued from Page One.) no "Duma party" and no political politi-cal organization which is prepared to lead. The kaiser and the chancellor chan-cellor know this. They know, too, that their peace note of last December De-cember and the entente reply to President Wilson solidified Germany's Ger-many's political organization and convinced the, people that the government gov-ernment was waging a "defensive war." A revolution in Germany at this time is not probable unless it begins in Austria-Hungary. If the people overthrew the Hohenzollern dynasty they would do so with one purpose to make peace. While the people long for peace, while they talk about nothing else, still the'v are not ready to accept peace through defeat. Austrian Empire Rent by Feuds. When German statesmen began to , realize they could not conquer Europe and establish an iron baud upon world business thev turned their attention to the Balkans and Turkey. They saw tho vision of a great nation called Central Europe, made up of Austria-Hungary, Bul- ! ?ar'ai Part of Serbia, Greece anil Turkey, with Berlin as the capital. Their idea was to spread German influence and German kultur throughout these countries by making mak-ing the people "fear Germans." During my two years within the central powers I made four journeys jour-neys to Austria-Hungary, and I spent three weeks with the German army as it invaded Rumania. I ; talked to Germans. T heard from Hungarians, Slavs and Rumanians 1 what they thought and feared. For these people the idea of a great Germany was horrifying but real. , They saw visions of German op- ! pression a.nd domination, but they wero powerless. They went into the war and saw no means of escape. es-cape. Thev hated and suspected t tho czar. For them the "czar danger" dan-ger" was greater than tho "Prussian "Prus-sian invasion." The Hungarians, especially, who are the greatest, the most charming and freedom-loving freedom-loving people of the central powers, believed thev were obliged to defeat de-feat the czar first and then go for the German?. But now that the czar is defeated bv hts own neonle, Hungarv has little fear of Russia. The same is true of the Slavs the Bohemians and the Gnlic.ians. Thus, the Russian revolution gives' these people a greater opportunity to oppose op-pose Germany. Entire Bohemian Army Deserts. Ever since the death of Emperor Franz Josef the dual monarchy hna been split. The youn-j emperor, fearing fear-ing Germany, ami hnvine his army and navy completely miller the orders or-ders of the Gerinn n General stn f f, is pulled from the pillar of discontent discon-tent within his own country to the post of German v. The llunirarians know Kaiser "WilhHm plans to put his favorite son. Ettel Friedrieh. on the Hungarian thrcne if he can. The Hun!:n'inns know German business, busi-ness, and industrial leaders ore working niht and day to fasten their hold upon Hungary. Hungarians Hun-garians know Germany is starving and wants Hungarian food. The Bo-hcmiiins Bo-hcmiiins have revolted time and time again during the war. "When General Brusiloff began his offensive offen-sive in July, 101 fi, a whole Bohemian Bohe-mian army deserted and Archduke Frederick was relieved of his command com-mand upon orders of the German emperor. Part of another Bohemian army corps which attempted to de- ; Kort'wai? caught and upon orders of Kaiser Wilhelm one out of every five officers and men was executed. The rest were imprisoned. These are a few instanes whndi show the I critical situation whidi has exist- j ed in Anstria-Huufiary since the be- j ginning of the war. Fran, Josef was successful in j keeping the dual monarchy united i while he was alive, because he practically turned the country over j to Count' Stefan Tisa, the minis- i tor president of ITunintry. Germany Ger-many will not permit the new em- 1 peror to do this. A story told in j Vienna illustrates bettor than anything any-thing else Tis.a 's former power. It is said that when the old emperor em-peror died he was met at the golden gates by St. Peter, who asked him: 4 4 Your majesty, what has your mnjestv done to merit entrance here?'' The tottering old field marshal t Ii on gh t a in i n u t e, sera tc hed his head and replied: "T don't know; ask Count Tis-xa. Tis-xa. ' ' Reichstag Is Powerless. Outside of Berlin the rcichstag is looked upon as the representative body of the German people. During Dur-ing the two years J was in Germany Ger-many tho rcichstag did nothing which was not planned by the government gov-ernment ami executed bv the government gov-ernment 's representatives. To a certain extent this is true of the Hungarian parliament. The one big difference is that in Budapest there is freedom of debate. In Berlin there is no freedom, not even freedom of thought. In Budapest Buda-pest thn opposition, which has the support cf the people, but which is rn evented from gaining authority because the government party is the ' 4 land party, '' is the militant party. The Hungarians have leadersgreat lead-ersgreat leaders, too, who, like Count Albert Apponyi and Count Julius Andrassy, can lean1 if they will. Unlike Germany there are organization? and leaders throughout through-out Austria-Hungary who are ready to lead and to ficht a revolution. Germany knows this, and the fact that last week Chancellor von Beth-mann-JTollweg hurried to Vienna to confer with young Emperor Charles is proof that the greatest crisis since the beginning of the war has developed in Austria-Hungary. Time will tell whether the Germans or the anti-Prussians are the more powerful. Germans Control Austria's Army. Thero is another big difference between the situation in Austria-"Hnngarv Austria-"Hnngarv and Russia. Both nations, it is triie, were ripe for revolutions. But in Russia the army was Russian Rus-sian and under command of Russians. Rus-sians. Not so in the dual monarchy. monar-chy. Ever since General Brusiloff Bru-siloff 's offensive crippled and demoralized de-moralized the A ustro-Hungarian j army it has been organized as a unit in fhe German army. There is not even a company in the Austrian Aus-trian army which is not commanded command-ed by Germans. In fact, every eight Austrian? are under a German un-der-ofnVer. If there was a revolution revo-lution in Austria-Hungary the rev- olutionists could not count upon the support of a great army. This may make a revolt in the dual monarchy monar-chy take the. form of pressure upon GeVmany to make peace on any terms. All these developments are certain cer-tain to have an important influence upon the German Socialists. They arc the real democrats of Germany. They have thfe vision of a liberal Germany, and if they continue to support the government it will be because the chancellor is willing to pledge and begin reforms. The sudden sud-den appearance of Von Beth man n-Hollweg n-Hollweg in the reichstag a few days ago means but one thing the Socialists So-cialists have taken advantage of the Russian revolution to demand reforms now. I would not be surprised sur-prised if they again demanded peace. But the German Socialists will be the subiect of a special article, which will follow shortly. |