NERVOUSNESS IN AUSTRIA.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15750, 17 November 1916, Page 8

NERVOUSNESS IN AUSTRIA.

I ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN" DUAL MONARCHY, (srECIALLY WRITTEN FOB "TIIE Pr.ESS.") (Br Mrs .Jrr.iAX Gbande.) BERNI4, September 9A singular fact which has been lately thrust upon my notice is that the principal Anstrian and Hungarian newspapers, which ] receive regularly in Berne, and which at all times are apt to shew a white front page or extensive white blanks, have been much fuller of black spaces than ever since Roumania's declaration of war. testifying ! to perpetual and probably violent contests between the editors and the Aus-tro-Hungarian censor. Sometimes not only is the entire front page blank, but the entire second page also: that is to say. all that portion of the paper which usually contains the leading articles cud editorial expressions of opinion. Tt> explain the flight of Austrian troops before the advance of the Roumanian army, and at the same time to calm the Austro-Hungarian people, resort is had to amazing shifts. For instance, the Viennese papers of September 4th contain enormous headlines about Ronmania's intervention, and give prominence to a telegram which, if the truth has been told, must have made a very circuitous journey before ultimately reaching Vienna. It is supposed to have emanated originally from ccrtain zealous noble-minded Roumanian patriots in Bucharest, who sent it to Petrograd, thence it Was telegraphod to Stockholm, whenco the correspondent of the "Lokal Anzeigcr" re-telegraphed it to Berlin, whence the correspondent erf the "Neues Wiener Journal'* assiduously telegraphed if to his paper in Vienna. From Bucharest, via Petrograd to Vienna, is a roundabout journey indeed. Most probably, however, the piece of news was fabricated in Berlin and then sent to Vienna. Now, this telegram is so significant that 1 will give it in full:— *

"The 'Lokal Anzciger' publishes tho following telegram from Stockholm: — Telegrams from Bucharest to the Russian Press say that in well-informed Roumanian circles the situation throughout tho country is considered serious. The 'Bocrsen-Zeitung' (Stock Exchange Journal) rcceires the following statement ?rom a semi-official source in Roumania : —The AustroHungarian retreat in Transylvania is not at all likely to alter the situation there for the advantage of the Roumanians. The Austro-Hunga/nans were in a position to effect their retreat without any losses. Fighting in this region being inseparable from heavy losses for us, the retreat was a defensive action, called fpr by the circumstances, and now that it has been accomplished it is possible to strengthen the Austro-Hungarian front. The conquest of Transylvania is a very difficult undertaking. It is easy to attack rapidly and penetrate as far as Brasso and tho Hermannstaedter Passes, but nothing is gained by this, for it is also necessary to cross high monntain chains, which is a very dangerous proceeding. The enterprise, therefore, is tedious, and a speedy success cannot be counted upon."

It is with this kind of specious nonsense, not to say deliberate falsification of facts, that the arc being lulled into sense of fictitious I security. This quack medicine, however, a concoction of German political nerve doctors, soon loses its effect, and somewhat resembles spirits in that the more is taken of it tho more is required. From a neutral diplomat, who has just passed through Switzerland, and who has been in Vienna since the beginning of the war, I am assured that Roumania's intervention has absolutely shattered the nerves of the Austro-Hungarian people, even those of the easy-going V iennesc. At any rate, this is true of those who reflect at all upon the situation. They all now admit that Transylvania is lost to them —hence the explanation of the telegfam quoted above, which denies what everybody is thinking and what everybody knows. Even the army, so I am assured, would have thrown up the sponge but for Germany with her big stick in the background, and for the admixture of German troops with those of Austria-Hungary, and above all, for the fact that the Austro-Hun-garian soldiers are now under German command.

So nervous did the population become within the last fortnight that it was necessary to insist upon the Press publishing certain articles attenuating the importance of Roumania's entrance into the war, and endeavouring to explain away the popular disquietude. Nervousness, says one of the leading Viennese newspapers, is no peculiarity of modern life, but has been known at all periods of human history, and instances of highly nervous people oc--cur even in folklore. Moses, it is urged, was nervous, having had an impediment in his speech, and Aaron was forced to be his spokesman when it was necessary to address the Israelites. King Saul was nervous, as is shown by his having allowed himself to come so much under the influence of those about him, by v liis having prophesied when in the company of prophets, by his having twice cast a javelin at David, and by his finally having insisted upon the Amalekite killing him. Alexander the Great and Julius Csosar are also asserted to have presented unmistakable signs of nervous derangement, and likewise the hermits iu the early days of Christianity and the early Christians who dreamed dreams and beheld visions, while many of the signs and wonders recorded are similarly ascribed to overwrought nerves, both in the case of the seer and doer, and of those who merely bore witness to what had taken place. Finally, coming rapidly to the Middle Ages, Hamlet "as depicted by Shakespeare" is represented as having I>cen an extraordinarily nervous individual, whence the conclusion is drawn that Shakespeare had had opportunities of observing the effects of a disturbed nervous system. Gothe and Schiller give instances of the forms which nervousness assumed in the 18th century, for although in every age nervousness occurs, in every ago it has different characteristics. Unhappily it is one thing to explain to the and Hungarians how many varieties of ■nervousness are known, and how nervousness is as old as human history, and it is quite anothe;- matter to cure them of their present nervous excitability.

There :irc, as may bp imagined a variety of causes for this Ansiro-Hun-garian nervousness, and these causes are by no means imaginary, but very real. Take first-, the European situation. Just two months before Roumanian intervention, the Austrian Government felt so sure of the course of events that it created a new organisation for Anstro-Roumanian commerce or "exchange of commodities between the two c-otuitries,'' with its headquarters in Vienna and a branch office in Bucharest. This word "commodities" being interpreted meant mainly cereals, which Austria was more than ever anxious to import from Koumania. The Austrian and Hungarian people now realise that no more need be expected from this source, «nd al-

though the Press is not allowed to criticise the Government's diplomacy, nevertheless, it i s the subject of much discussion. Not a great deal of commiseration i t expressed for Germany, who. within a short time, supplied Roumania with 30,000.000 francs worth of goods, chiefly war material and ammunition, on condition of Roumania's supplying her in September with a quantity of wheat. Instead of this Roumania is keeping her wheat for her own purposes, and Germany, knowing now that the grapes are thoroughly sour, is declaring that, after all. she has plenty of wheat without that of I'oumania. and never reckoned upon Roumanian ceir.als at all this year. The Austrian people complain that they, too. - sent ammunition and other war material to Roumania in the expectation of receiving wheat in return, and that now they will reccive no wheat, but will he shot with their own and with German bullets and cannon.

It was not until aft&r August 20th that the Austrian and Gorman Governments really abandoned hope of keeping Roumania on what to them was the right side. One of the first- signs of this abandonment of hope, was the commandeering on -August 25th of the entire Hungarian harvest of cereals; and now. after considerable preliminary preparation and much impressing upon the people of the necessity for breeding sheep, goats.. rabbits, and poultry of all kinds, a third meatless day has been introduced in Austria. That is to say. no meat of any description, except certain specified sausages, may be eaten on Mondays. "Wednesdays, or Fridays, while on th© I.sth of the present month no raw fat, fat products, or edible oils can be bought except by special cards, while other cards are necessary for the purchase of the statutory 100 grammes (l-sth of lb) of butter per person weekly. This does not mean that fat cards have only just been introduced, but that the regulations concerning fat and butter are now much more stringent.

All_ these pettifogging details and restrictions in -the procuring of ordinary necessaries arc in themselves quite enough to -affect the nerves of the population in general; but what must ■be the strain on those of the authorities? At present the Treasury finds itself unable to pay the interest amounting to, in round numbers. 748 million kronen, upon the four Austrian war loans, which together total 713,500,000.000 kronen (about £28,5400C0); and the people are being delicately prepared to face the fact that by some means or other new sources of revenue must bo found, and more taxes imposed.

The .neutral diplomatist to whom I have referred tells me that he never entered a shop and never met an acquaintance in Austria but the first question was always whether • lie thought there was likely to be peace soon. In Austrian official circles the question is also asked: Surely England does not wish to see Austria-Hungary dismembered, for this would mean the strengthening of Germany? Everything Vhich can possibly be inter/ preted as pointing to the conclusion of tlie war is always expatiated upon to the utmost, and any unguarded writing in the English Press reprinted, being probably ! rendered still more indiscreet in the process. For example, a London evenI jng paper is quoted in the heaviest black type and in the front pages of the Viennese papers as having announced with th© English censor's apj proval, that now Roumania has inter- | vened m the war, <*the Allies arc determined very shortl v to make known their peace terms." And the other | day, when the notorious M. Bulatzel leader of the Black Hundred published a tirade against Great Britain, this was immediately seized upon by the Press and exploited to the very utmost, the more so as the hbpo still persists that the Russian reactionaries may prey-ail, and a separate pea«e bo concluded. All this is destined to act as a kind of nervo tonic for mi Hungarian people. The thinking section of the population, however, know better, and amongst themselves openly admit that unless some miracle happen tlieir case is desperate indeed. The clericals still look to the Vatican for salvation., and although they ar 0 glad that the unbelieving Turks, as they" call them, have joined in the fight against Russia, nevertheless tliey detest the presence of .Turks in the JSinperor's bodyguard. Germany, trith her organisation," concluded the diplomat whom I have been citing, .'iHftv quite well be able to noid out for another winter, although," he added, "of course I do not positiveKnow about this; but I do not seef how Austria can do so. She never reckoned upon a third winter campaign, and she is not prepared for one." Referring to the violently stormy sitting of the Hungarian Chamber on luesday last, he said that the Wolff Bureau, m issning its report, had mixed an enormous quantity of water with its wme.

\" y me," he said that Hungary would already have sundered tie last tic binding 'her to Austria but for the skilfully contrived fact that the Hungarian troops do not form regiments by themselves, as do Canadians. Jverv Zealanders. and Australians, but ar c mixed up everywhere with Austrian and German troops, and scattered over all the fronts "