THE AUSTRIAN FLEET

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 261, 23 July 1918, Page 6

THE AUSTRIAN FLEET

AN EIGHT-DAY REVOLT

An interesting story of mutiny in tbo Austrian Navy is told'by a spreial correspondent of the Loudon "Times," writing on May 11:—

News has been trickling through toItaly for some time about a gnat mutiny in the Austrian Fleet early in February. It is possible now to give a fairly accurate idea of what happened. The mutiny began at Pola, but, as it broke- out almost simultaneously at Catlaro, it lookft as if there were collusion between the two ports. It was among arsenal workmen that the rising began at Pola. They demanded the cessation of various disciplinary measures and punishments inflicted" both in vessels and /ashore. The movement soon spread to the ships in harbour; lha crews left their pos'/s and thronged tho docks shouting, hurrahing, and acting as they pleased. The officers wore powerless, but there seems to have been no fighting between them and tho men. The naval authorities parleyed with the men for a week, and finally all the sailors' and workmen's demands were granted. At Catlaro the mutiny took a moreserious turn. Six cruisers and several destroyers hoisted tho red flag. The German and Magyar elements in some of the fillips held aloof, and there were encounters between them and the mutineers, tho guns of one cruiser being turned on another and some mutineers being killed: However, the mutineers got tho upper hand after three days, and became masters ot the port. , . , Officers were seized, the admiral commanding was taken by sailors from his iiagship to confinement in a vessel in harbour, where he received apparently no very gentle treatment. The mutineers Rave all orders afloat or ashore, llieeo were printed and signed "The Committee of Crews." Wireless apparatus was seized and the sailor/ committee thus communicated their demands to Vienna, among which the immediate conclusion of peace was prominent. Alarm wan caused by these measures, and placating but non-committal replica were sent. After many prolonged councils it was decided to dispatch to Cattaro a division of the fleet, under ti lior-man-Austrian admiral, upon whio.h it was thought reliance might bo placed. When this appeared before Cattaro the. position was critical, as niunnnrings had broken out also in the new division, lho situation was saved by the Teutonic element in one of the revolting cruisers in harbour getting free and haulms down the red flag. Negotiations were opened on an equal footing between the admiral and tho mutineers, ard finally the latter consented to surrender their vessels on rccoiving written guarantees that no action would be tnken against any man, and that a number of grievances would be settled. The Cattaro fleet then returned under the Austrian flag, alter being eight days in open revolt. As a consequence of the mutiny tho ■■Emperor Karl cashiered a number of high officers on the ground that it vm their slackness that had permitted this outbreak. About 30 officers are believed to have been retired. The fleet has been put under tho command of a notoriously severe and muchdisliked admiral. Efforts were made later to revoke the amnesty to the mutineers, and thev have been heavily punished lor supposedly subsequent offences, but nothing has been done publicly. As most of Austria's sailors belong to the oppressed races, there is no doubt the ferment continues in the fleet equal to that in the Army.