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Show I DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS I WITH THE UNITED STATES I Act Is Taken Under Pressure of Germany I Charge Calls at American Department and JL Asks for Passports for Himself and Em- I bassy Staff Spain to Take Over I Diplomatic Interests, W WASHINGTON, April S. Austria- wm Hungary, under the pressure of Ger-K Ger-K many, has severed diplomatic rela-K! rela-K! tions -with the United States. K Baron Erick Zweidinek, charge d'af- fm falres of the AustroJIungarian embas-Hk embas-Hk sy here, called at the state department K today and asked for passports for him-K him-K self and the embassy staff. W Almost at the same time a dispatch Km was received from American Minister K Stovall at Berne, saying the dual mon-K mon-K archy had broken off diplomatic rela-m rela-m tions with the United States in Vien-m Vien-m na. It is presumed this was done by handing passports to American Charge R Grew. American Ambassador Penfleld, m who had left Vienna on Saturday, K probably did not know of the govern- ment's action. Spain Takes Over Interests, j-f By pre-arrangement Spain will take over the diplomatic and consular in- terests of the United Stales in Aus- tria-Hungary. All Austrian consular ; agents will depart from the United I States with the diplomatic mission, as t was the case with Germany. ; Up to the time Charge Zweldinek asked for his passports no similar ac- tion had been taken by Bulgaria and Turkey German's two other allies, I and their representatives here dis-; dis-; claimed having knowledge of the in-l in-l tention of these governments. It Is expected hero they will follow by ' breaking diplomatic relations. i Austria's break with the United States undoubtedly is the preludo to a : declaration of a state of war. Sixty-r Sixty-r two days elapsed between the break -in relations between the United States ' and Germany and the formal declaration declara-tion of a state of war. i Germany May Force Fight. ' It is quite possible, however, that there may not be war-like operations between the forces ot the two govern-f govern-f ments unless Germany, carrying further fur-ther her domination of the Vienna government, should force it. Charge Grew at Vienna also will turn over to Spain the British and 10 Japanese interests which this country : has looked after since the beginning of the war. Italian, French and Rumanian Ru-manian Interests in Austria-Hungary, previously looked after by the United States, were ordered turned over to the Swiss minister American ambassadors and consular officials in France, Great Britain and Russia, Serbia, Japan, Greece, Morocco Moroc-co and Egypt will stand ready to turn over Austrian interests, which the United States has represented in those countries since the beginning of the war, to whatever nation the Austrian foreign office shall indicate. ' Released of Big Burden. The United States, by the break in i relations, is released of the care of f probably 2,000,000 war prisoners. In Russia alone it is estimated that 1,250,-000 1,250,-000 Austrian prisoners were under p American protection with a considerable considera-ble number in Franco also. In Austria the United States had cared for all the Italian and Rumanian prisoners. Other small groups are thought to bring the total well up to 2,000,000. Native Americans In Austria. About 200 native Americans are thought to be in Austria and Hungary, Hun-gary, with perhaps another 1,800 nat-j. nat-j. uralized Austro-Americans, most of whom may prefer to stay in their country coun-try of birth. Officials here expect no difficulties to bo placed before Americans Amer-icans in Austria and that all the Am- erican embassy officials will be permitted per-mitted to leave without restraint or inconvenience. Austria has In this country about Ilfty consular officers in addition to her regular embassy staff, not including includ-ing clerks, attaches and families. Safe conduct for all will be arrange at once. Penfleld Party Safe. The safe arrival of Ambassador and Mrs. Penfield at Zurich, Switzerland, with three members of the embassy staif, was reported today to the department de-partment The last direct dispatch from Vienna was received yesterday, having been sent Saturday, and said that up to that time Austria had not taken action. Joseph C. Grew, formerly former-ly secretary at Berlin, is acting as charge in Vienna, aided by four assistant as-sistant secretaries. Bulgaria and Turkey have not as yet given any indication of their probable prob-able attitude and officials express considerable con-siderable doubt as to what it will be Neither formally has endorsed Germany's Ger-many's submarine stand nor has submarines sub-marines that would operate near American Am-erican shipping. Austria's severance of relations, however, would cut off all communication with Sofia and Constantinople, Con-stantinople, as the Greek cable to the latter city, the only route except by Vienna, has just been cut. Austria's action is attributed entirely entire-ly to German influence, as officials have received every indication that the dual monarchy did not wish a break when the United States severed relations rela-tions with Germany. Austria then expressed gratitude that the United States liberally interpreted her formal endorsing of the German policy as largely academic because of her operating op-erating near American shipping. |