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CONDaTIONS INSlpE AUSTRIA.

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CONDaTIONS INSlpE AUSTRIA. liainours reached this country during the week-end, via Madrid— which has preserved for centuries a close connection with Austria-that tt-Lo .Dual Monarcijy within the next few I days. We hasè. been expecting the ram-shackle emp:ir-. of Carl to break up for so long a time that v/e are now, and naturally, extremely sceptical regarding predictions of this sort. Three years ago, the prophets were confident that Aus- tria-Hungary would not weather th-j storm ci a war which -was con- ^stantly going against it, but the em- ipire survived the úffensiye¡; oÍ Russia and Italy, and now, iu what I appear to be, superficially con- sidered, brighter days, the assump- tion must be that' revolution k im- probable. The growing exaspera-1 tion of the country, or its non-Ger- man populations, at the domineer- ing spirit of Germany, showing it- self in measures which practically mean Teutonic control of its eco- nomic life may end in disorders threatening the existence of the alli- ance, but against this must be placed the thorough-going way in which Germany has bound Austria into her service. And, from a mili- tary point of view, much will de- pend upon the outcome of the new offensive which has been started all along the mountain line. Let it and all the suppressed feeling of the country may come to a head. Fortunately, we have before \lB' to-day exact information as to the state of things within the Dual Monarchy. This confirms the im- preseion that matters have gone from bad to worse. The Emperor is confronted, in the political neid, with new problems crpated by the domination of the German influ- ence. We may properly conceive- the situation ii we imagined Great Britain faced by a dozen intensified Irish questions 1 One instance. On May 25th, a large group of deputa- I tions representing German interests in tho southern territories of the monarchy demanded and obtained an audience of tbe Emperor, for the purpose of presenting addresses re- quiring the suppression of the! South Slav Sta, te agitation* if necessary in distegard of th views of the Parliament. The Emperor WitS cnmpelled to listen to the most outspoken addresses. It would take too long to explain the. intricate race problem behind the petitions of the deputation. A rough parallel would be an English agitation against the growing power of the Celtic elements within the United Kingdom. But ao inkling of the state into which national dis- unity has fallen ma.y be obtained in the following extracts from the address of a burgomaster from Lower Styria to the Emperor. Your Majesty! [he said] The in- creasing exasperation, of our people constitutes a grave danger. Your expected help from Parliament, but in vain. Now our people have 6ellt us to beg from your Majesty a wor(I tf might, promising that an immediate end shall be put to these intrigues, which are corroding tho nnity of the Monarchy. Your Majesty! We have nothing too hope from Parliament, since it is a house of everlasting turmoil. The Emperor made replies as | guarded as his answers to political deputations usually are. But they have been followed by wild and threatening meetings. Meantime Austria-Hungary is being slowly reduced to the last pit of despair. We know a little in Swansea to-day of country folk's contravention of the food orders. It is said to be quite common for mar- ket gardeners to drive their cart, into the Vienna market and then, when the police will not allow the produce to be sold in unrestricted trade, to drive them out again i What would happen to the market gardeners v/ho tried to do this in Swansea? We need to be guards d in our impression of the conse- quences likely to follow the parlous state into which the country has descended, but a moderate conclu- sion as to the present .position, ar- rived at by a competent authority, may be offered, for the accepta-noe of our readers— The country is rotting slowl^o pieces, materially, morally, and physically, and her only hope of ealvatkm is in winning a signal victory for h-rsolf on her own front, independently of Ger- many, a feat rendered doubly difficult by the disaffection and unreliability -of a large proportion of her troops. What chances Austria has of win- ning this signaJ victory for herself the next few days will reveal fully. The news -to hand as we write re- garding the Austrian abtack is highly encouraging. As far As we can see, the Italians a.re holding their own as successfully as did the British Division, which four enemy divisions could not break. The Austriaus had made immense pre,, paratiens. On the Asiago front aJQne they had massed 1,500 ctuns We shall not be able to say with certainty how the new offensive is going for som.e days; but at any rate, the start lias been bad. If the Italians hold firm, internal event. in Austria may precipitate a situa- tion for which Germany doas not i(l, q f or w i i

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