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Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 187, 12 September 1914, Page 8

Following on her abortive invasion of Servia and her terrific collapse against the Russian left wing armies on the Vistula, Austria is faced with a crisis that threatens to break her utterly. The dual monarchy is .'' financially ana?mic," as a recent /writer phrases it, and there are conflicting constituents in her national comp6sition that only await the opportunity to explode and shatter her. For years past Austria has intrigued among the Balkan States, causing disruption, bloodshed, and ruin generally. But the shape of Doom that has trailed the Habsburgs is surely following close on the heels of the Habsburgs' kingdom, and its shadow is at the present time (loser -than ever it lias been before. Austria has been the tool of Germany even as Bulgaria has pulled the Austrian chestnuts out of the Balkan fire. The results of her studied iuterventioa may be seen in desolated Albania. She has played the game up to the hilt, urged on by the Hohenzollern, and today she stands before the world a nation on the edge of a national cataclysm. When the last vital blow is struck, Austria, who never, showed mercy, will receive none.. The abhorrent

enemy of Italy, Servia, Rumania, and of many of the races that are at present serving under her colours, the Dual Monarchy is even to-day in danger of dismemberment. When the tottering wreck falls, the wolves will be tearing it limb from limb in short order. All the signs point to such a catastrophe. Germany, upon whom Austria relies so completely for her trade revenue, when- the clearing-up takes: place, will be but an impoverished customer; and so, her commerce

broken, beset by enemies inside and out, Austria looks beyond hope of recovery.. Her military failure against the Russian left has seriously inconvenienced Germany, who has had to make other arrangements with respect to her line of defence. Messages from Petrograd tell of large reinforcements to the German Army on the Russian frontier. The Russian wall is closing in on Prussia, and we may look for desperate and protracted engagements along the whole frontier. Another serious defeat on the Austrian centre will leave the Germa 1 defence thoroughly exposed to the full force of the Russian blow. Cracow is reported to have been evacuated and Breslau threatened—the possibilities in this quarter are nothing short of tremendous.