The Dominion THURSDAY, MAY 16, 1918. THE TEUTONIC PARTNERS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 203, 16 May 1918, Page 4

The Dominion THURSDAY, MAY 16, 1918. THE TEUTONIC PARTNERS

Of tho several accounts given today of Austro-German relations ono at least—the Berlin official message dealing with tho recent conference at German Main Headquarters between the two Kaisers their political and military advisersmay safely be set aside as untrustworthy. No great penetration is needed to perceive even in this message itself plain evidence that allis not well in the Teutonic Alliance. "Discussion," it states, "was cordial and thorough regarding all funda : mental political, economic, and military questions affecting Austria and Germany.- There was complete accord on all these questions, and on tho extension and deepening of the existing alliance." Intended as they manifestly _ are to convey an impression that harmony obtains between the Central Empires, these statements amount in fact _ to damaging admissions. Considering how long Austria's relation to Germany has been that of vassal to overlord; there would be no need to discuss "all fundamental political, economic, and military questions," or to devise measures for extending and deopening tho existing alliance if serioua grounds of dissonsion had not apj peared. Thero is a further indica- ! tion to- this effect in the admission i that certain "contractual agreements," though their guiding lines exist in principle, have.yot to bo concluded. The German official message is in fact a suggestive addition to other evidence that Austria and her overbearing partner are seriously at issue. Though it has much wider and deeper aspects, the oxisting situation owes its immediate interest to the indications it presents that the Dual Monarchy is persisting in a refusal to freely second Gormany's efforts in what is admittedly a last-and desperate bid for victory. There is, of course, every reason to believe that tho failure of the present German offensive would tend to bring political disorders in tho Dual Monarchy, and perhaps in Germany itself, to a head. But the fact which commands attention at the icoment is that with tho fato of tho war still in tho balance Austria is marking time. Tho German armies havo been cngagod for nearly two months in a desperate attempt to overwhelm the Western Allies. The Austrian armies during tho sumo period have hardly been called upon to striko a blow. On tho Italian front they havo attempted practically nothing. As information stands, tho Dial Monarchy iias at most made some additions to Gormany's artillery strength on tho West front and rolioved a proportion of her garrison and lino of communication troops. In tho circumstances it is possiblo to accent with oonfidenco tho statement made to-day by a correspondent that bitter hatred of Austria is growing in Germany, and that tho feeling is that if Germany loses tho war it will bo because of tho incapacity of Austria and insufficient support from that counfry. It may bo taken for granted that if Germany had been given hor way tho Austrian armies wo'ild from fchn first, have taken a full part in the offensive. The suggestion advanced by Colonel EepINGTON that an enemy attack on Italy, has been delayed by_ weather

conditions docs not invalidate this belief. Germany could have found full use- for any available number of Austrian troops on tho Western front—her need of such a reinforcement is amply demonstrated in the fact that she has been practically at a. standstill in her offensive for more than n fortnight—and it is only reasonable to suppose that at tho outset she demanded from Austria tho active co-operation which, up to the present at least, has been withheld.

The significant of this state of affairs as it bears upon the war outlook is intensified rather than weakened by the known subservience of the Austro-Hungarian Government to that of Germany. It is hardly in dispute that Austria's present political and military leaders arc in full sympathy with Germany's policy of conquest and plunder; the peace terms imposed on Rumania sufficiently demonstrates the hypocrisy of Count Czernin's professions of dissent from German policy in Russia. But the established fads of the military situation are on that account so much the more impressive as indicating the formidable- development of a spirit of revolt in'ithc subject races of tho Dual Monarchy. Nothing but sheer inability to comply with Germany's demands will account for tho insignificant part Austria has thus {ir taken in the present year's campaign, and the most convincing reason assigned for her inactivity is. that the policy of her rulers is heavily influenced, if not determined, by fears of a revolutionary outbreak. To look at the recent developments of lhe_ war in Eastern Europe- is to realise that these fears aro amply justified. Under tho thin pretext of creating autonomous States, Ger-< many ha-s annexed some 435,000 ' square miles of Russian territory, inhabited by a population of fiftyfive millions, of whom the great majority are Slavs. It is evident that if the German conquests are maintained tho Slavs of the Dual Monarchy, who constitute, with' other, subject races, a majority of its population, will lose their-last hope of attaining political autonomy or political freedom in any shape. The policy of holding them in subjection has been 'based upon the consideration that if they were liberated they would become the dominant force in tho Austrian Empire. Nothing is moro certain than that if Germany is permitted to establish the rule of a conqueror over fifty million Slavs in Russia, she will see to it that the chains of tho Slav races in tho Dual Monarchy are tightened. If there is no place for an autonomous Slav State in the Hapsburg Empire, there is still less placo for a serieß of similar States, with an aggregate population exceeding that of Germany, in the Central Europe of Pan-German dreams. While Germany's policy of conquest has thus given a tremendous impetus to tho movement for national liberation among the Slavs of Austria, another impulse in the same direction has been given by the altered policy of Italy. The Italian Government has not formally disowned the secret Convention, concluded with the Entente Powers in 1915, under which Italy was to receive a large strip of the eastern coast of the' Adriatic inhabited by a purely Slav ■ population, but it is held that the deathknell of this agreement was sounded by the Italian Prime Minister (Signor Orlando) in a speech delivorcd a month or two ago, in which ho emphasised the value" which Italy attached to Jugo-Slav friendship. Unofficially, most important progress has been made towards a full understanding between Italy and tho Jugo-Slavs. In March , , for instance, Dk. Andkea Torke, acting on behalf of a numorous and weighty committee of Italian politicians, met and conferred with the accredited representatives of the Czechoslovaks, Poles, and other subject races of the Dual Monarchy. Complete agreement was reached on tho basis that the principle of nationality should determine future boundary lines, and this understanding is to be thto prelude to a further conference at Rorno. According to Sir Evans, who outlines these facts in an articlo in 'the Manchester Guardian, the body on behalf of which Dh. Toere is empowered to act consists of about three-quarters of the Italian Senate, and _ over half of the Chamber of Deputies. "Vienna," he observes, "is already showing signs of alarm, and_ there are solid reasons for believing that with the frank support of the Italian Government, with which, it is to bo hoped, tho other Allied Governments will come into line, the peoples of Austria-Hun-gary now seeking the means to exercise tho right of self-determination may taako rapid strides towards their goal." Thero are on the whole substantial grounds for believing that th,o unscrupulous policy of tho Central Empires towards the Slavs is attracting an appropriate retribution, and one which is already telling with material effect upon tho course of tho war.