CONDITIONS IN AUSTRIA.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16420, 14 January 1919, Page 7

CONDITIONS IN AUSTRIA.

VIENNA BEFORE THE ARMISTICE. (specially written* for ''the press. ) (By Mrs Jclian Grande.) BERNE, November 7. Had the armistice not been signed by Austria on Sunday, November 3id, Vienna might by now have boen either in flames or a heap of ruins. I'or days and nights before the armistice anarchy prevailed in the Austrian capital, and, indeed, more or Ic:js throughout Austiia. No one seemed able to exercise any general control — not because there was no Government but rather because there were too many Governments. There was, and still is apparently, tlio State Council (Staatsrat) of German-speaking Auatrians, with its motto, "Peace, Bread, and Dcmocratisation"; the National Assembly, the Soldiers' Council, the Officers' Council, the Socialist Council, and it is hard to say how many more Councils. Despite tho fact that tho leaders in all these Councils and almost all mob orators addressing tho crowds in the streets appealed to their hearers to be quiet and ordorly, and not to got out of hand, plundering has been going on. Many shops have been looted, especially provision dealers' and clothing merchants' establishments. On ono point the mob and the ordinary soldiers were unanimous no soldier or officer must be seen wearing the Austrian cockade in his cap or any Austrian military decoration or order. An old General appeared woaring some order and a cockade in his cap; the mob at first politely asked him to remove these, but when he lost his temper and drew his sword, they set upon him, tore off his order, removed his cockade, and brcuo his sword, so that he had to take refuge in the War Office.

The War Office lias been barricaded, and besieged by the crowd more than any other public building in Vienna, and it was in front of it, from tlio pedestal of the Radetzky statue that the mob was addressed by a soldier in field uniform, who was greeted with storms of applauso, and who declared that what the people wanted was a leader "who would go with them through thick and thin towards freedom." The crowd called out repeatedly "Friedrich Adler," and the very next day Dr. Friedrich Adler, imprisoned since September, 1916, for the shooting of Count Sturgh, was released. Scarcely half an hour later he was elected a member of tho executive committee of the Social Democrats.^ For days before the armistice, the streets of Vienna were filled with all manner of people marching in procession. One of the most pathetic of these processions was of wounded and invalid 6oldiors from a military hospital, who marched carrying a huge red flag. A lieutenant who led them addressed the crowd, saying that there

was no longer an "Imperial and Royal Austria," and appealing to everyone to maintain order and support the People's Government, which would bring them bread, peace, and freedom. Other soldiers' processions went to the military prison, and released deserters and political prisoners. In the meantime the city was being overrun with soldiers arriving from the front, who expected to find food and clothing, and found nothing of the sort. I may here remark that, whatever -i'ne Germans may say to the contrary, the Austrians are in reality glad and thankful that their prisoners of war are .not being repatriated immediately: were this done it would only increase their food supply difficulties and add to the danger of rioting plundering, and disturbances generally. Significant of the state of general upheaval is what befell the Burgomaster of Vienna, Dr. "VVoieskirchner, who has had a singularly ungrateful task during these four years and more of war, trying to provide Vienna with food and fuel. When he attempted twice to address the crowd from a balcony in the Landhaus. he was hopelessly howled down, and could gain no hearing at all. No was more generally the ; object "of the crowd's attentions than officors, who were invariably requested, at first courteously, no violence being used, to remove their cockades, or any monarchical decorations they might "bo wearing. Not unless thoy resisted, did any trouble occtlr. Otherwise, despite the.tense excitement, it cannot be said that during the<s© prearmistico days of revolution in Vionna there has been much personal violence or moro than a very little bloodshed. Indeed, all the information which 1 have received tends to show that the speeches of the mob orators were, taking all the circumstancos into account, remarkable for their moderation and sense rather than for their violence and folly. For a time, one of the dangers threatening Vionna was the number of Italian prisoners of war who either broke away from their camp or were simply allowed to slip away by their supposed guards. Here, however, the Italian officers, also prisoners of war, intervened, and succeeded in inducing their men to return to camp, while they themselves constituted a guard. Similarly they undertook the charge of Russian prisoners of war, thus saving not only Vienna from the risk of grave disorders, but also the Austrian country places. There is no doubt that the Bolsheviki have done their beet_bv means of their agents to make a difficult time more difficult still for Austria, and the Austrians realise this is only too plain from the repeated appeals of popular leaders and soldiers to the people to remain quiet and orderly. The speeches delivered by ordinary soldiers and officers were remarkable. Horc is an extract from a speech by a soldier, an enginedriver by occupation, at a soldiers' meeting. After exhorting all Ins comrades to lend a hand in the building up of a new German-Austria, he said: "Old Austria, that wretched corrupt, trollop, the kingdom of meanness and brutality, has como to an end. On this lioan of ruins wo mean to build a noble work, to help to lessen the sufferings which our country, our mothers, our children, and our betrothed are bearing." Certain regiments wero kept in closed barracks, but the commanders could never be sure whether they would altogether obey ordors if sent to quell a disturbance, or whether they would join the disturbers. Tn all these many and diverse gather-* in.es and demonstrations there was hardly a voice raised in favour of Ger-man-speaking Austria becoming united with Germany. The only advocacv of this plan camo from a German-speaking Austrian Social Democratic meeting, where, however, the speakers stated that they wanted to form a Germanspeaking Austrian republic which would then join a democratic Germany as a free Confederate State. The Germany, however, they insisted, must be not that of Bismarck, but that of Liebknecht, and the Germany for which Bebol hoped. It was ,f rom these Germanspeaking Austrian Social Democrats that- much the most extreme proposals came, for tliev unanimously passed a resolution in favour of the nationalisation of the property of the nobility, the Church and the capitalists. It is striking that no one seems to

have mentioned the Austrian Emperor. It was iumoured in \ ienna, indeed, tliat lio had already left for Switzerland, and in Switzerland it was definitely announced that the Empress ZiUi had arrived with her children; but at the timo of writing, this news is absolutely tinvcuiiri-ecl. Quo Czecli regiment, Wilich was still in Vienna a fow days before the armistice, laid down its arms, and departed for home. When the terms of the armistice were made known, many at first exclaimed that they were hard, but immediately afterwards consoled themselves by thinking that they would get justice from the l>riti?h and Americans, who in tho meantime would see that Austrian women and children did not starve. The occupation of Vienna by British, I'rencc, and American troops would be taken as a kindness rather than other- : wisn l> y the Viennese. The rout of tho Austrian army in the j i rent mo is now admitted in tho Austrian Press. One account, given by a , ozec-n officer, seems to provo that certain regiments of tho Austro-Hiuigar-lan army threw down their arms on October 2oth. "When the English tanks appeared and broke through the line, the retreat was so precipitate that oven the ambulance men left their wounded, and apparently only the army doctors remained at their post, and handed °y°." their sick ancl wounded to tho Italians. Trains which ought to have boon used as ambulance trains were employed to convey to Austria quantities of loot—pianos, plate, carpets, and all manner of things collected by Austrian officers. According to tho "iXeues \V lener Journal" no fewer than 250 railtruckloads of this loot wore 6or<t oft from the front when what really ought to have been conveved in them was wounded soldiers. The Allies' chief task in Austria is now to feed tho people, for unless this be dpne, and without delay, there is no hope of keoping dysentery and other epidemic diseases in check—diseases mainly due to underfeeding and improper food. The had and insufficient food has underminod tho health of tho 011tiro population, for whom in the country itself there is scarcely anything left.