SENSATIONAL RUMOURS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 551, 5 July 1909, Page 4

SENSATIONAL RUMOURS.

ALLECEO MILITARY BPIES.

AN EMPHATIC DENIAL.

i (By Toloffrapb.—Special Correspondent) ■ Auckland, July 4. The atones which hav© gained curroncy of > la to with regard to tho designs of Auatruuifl , resident. in New Zealand, and'.tho allegation that tboy are Gorman military spi<Vi, , arc i more sensational than sound, and aro much i resented by Austrians in this city. ; i Thjs morning, Mr. A. : M. Markowiez, a , well-known business man in Auckland,' 1 ro- • forred to tho, question in conversation witli | a "Star" reporter. , "Connected with tho present naval oxoitoi mont and crisis," said Mr. Markowiez, "many , groundless and base accusations and sus- . picjoiis We boom heaped upon Austrians residing. aud toiling; in this country. They' ! have boon accusod of being disloyal m heart to , tho. country of their adoption, cuspocted of being soldiers in disguise, bHing their oppor- : pnmty.to. seize the country/or help a foreign invader in landing. Somebody has even seen Austrian,officers in,mufti down Victoria fctreot, Dargavillo, Ama?.Lnc, indeed, is tho utter ignoninco of tho political 'geography of JjUropb._ Talking aboilt \ Austria •as one nation is equally ridiculous as talking of the •Austrian language. Austria is ;a' rather, curious composition of many languages, relinationalities, and oven raccs. True. ' Austria' ally, being one of tho parties of the Tnpjo Alliance,' but so. it Italy. Besides, tho Tnplo Alliance was formed before any question of naval supremacy ' or. .had been suspoctod.lio tAusnJwhV country nro Croatians fr«a Ualmatia. etc., Bohemians, known otherwise' ■ M Tchects and Poles; *ll' Slav race, and natural enemies of Germany and evoiything Qerman. Tho man aTw. : t a j"t °f education' and is riot fmw-i these facts deserves tho title of i, '' a S am i fnost of tho Austrian* mrnwS » ™ **■"' well-trained . soldiorß, asY, t? r "P°'V wapulsory in Austria, and ««+ f" 1 8ub J Mt _ I wij '° passes his twonty, nrst year of age must enter the ariny and ramL H a P enod of- three yW training, but OJO7 one Of them would rather Ask tffi b?dy m H worl , d Ask , them,, cppsult their. . literate* and songs, : his Wry? and./traditions, and you will see the Slav.hates tho German worse • femPp'Y Wd j la S, P ood . pounds for hia and Silesiang, and of the. Slav-nation, & s tI? B " ff erod great wrongs :at tha . Uft GD V?" in ' , and crov « migcanco. is, it likely .for them to go and join their fp'nTti aga,ns , t ? ■ oour l tr y "icy may hope to lend Ihom a helping hand in their-revenge? ?,n tb ? ? tI,O . r M, IB it.not. ridiculous to Wile of,; foreign invasion: in New Zealand? Does any nifin With. all his . soiisei. imagine Austrm or Germany, risking her. navy. a long trip to New Zealand to eapturo a eounconfine, of t-1,0 earth with hardly a million of inhabitant??. . Austrian officera - 1£ I 'W U &-- W Victoria' Street I, ,1, dare, w -|' know Dargavillo,: I know, 1 'Victoria • Street, and,- more than that, I know the Austrian?. 1 am,sure they wjll ; be pleased with the .plimoiitl i German airships in England havo turned .ont'l-to.bo, toys;• Austrian.officers-in I Ujrgaville will .appear under oloscr observation to bo gum-diggers, farmers, eto., W Of whom reached the glorjous • rank of sengeaiit in their oompulsory military career. 'I ise . tuo $een ; *officers to work as Austrians do, live jas tijoy Jiyo, and I am suro ho. would ro. • semblo am officcr just 'as well' asthoy do. Concluding, I may add that I understand ; somobodj with'a .weak, and: nervous disposition growing oxcital and trembling; at the slightest; pruvocauoa, pr even without any " reason whatever, : I could further nndep- , stand" persons ' havingv some bushwss in creating An ill-feeling .'between English and other inhabitants', these islands; but what ; amaMs"ni(3 is that a portion l of the' press should lend a liand in disturbing tho oonntty by' creating a panic in time .when, absolttto calm of mind lis-wanted; in trying tp discord botween poi'tions.of iicotamunity tiiai should' wort tiiftuP towar34 the; - welfare '< of' their country:- •» Anstrians hero are toiling on tho gumfields sand .farms, and...contribute .a .largo share Jo. ths wealth of itlio'Oountry. ' Many of them' aro natara)isod.Now Zealandors, .have settlod do-ivn and . taken New Zealand wives, and are bringing ' lip -their children as jtrrie and loyal, Now ZeaJanders.i They are .a stron'g and healtjiy race, and should form a valuable addition, ta', the population .of thi9' Dominion." ~' i