Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 213, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 September 1915 — FEAR BREAK WITH AUSTRIAN GOVERNMENT [ARTICLE]

FEAR BREAK WITH AUSTRIAN GOVERNMENT

Austrian Government Will Back M. Dumba and Probably Consult Germany in Case. Washington, Sept. 7.—Drastic action by President Wilson in the case of M. Dumba, Austro-Hungarian ambassador to the United States, may provoke serious complications between this country and the Austro-Hungar-ian government, and perhaps Germany. The incident has possibilities, the gravity of which the president and his advisers feel they cannot afford to overlook. According to what Ambassador Dumba told Secretary Lansing his letter was in pursuance of positive instructions received by him from his government. He was specifically directed to advise all Austro-Hungarian subjects that if they worked in factories turning out war supplies to be delivered to the allies they would be guilty of treason, and if they returned to their country would be tried and punished, the penalty being ten or twenty years imprisonment, or hanging. It was the duty of the ambassador to carry out the instructions of his government. The letter he wrote reported on the Arrangements he was' perfecting. Thus the responsibility rests squarely upon the Austro-Hungarian government. It follows that M. Dumba’s action will be wholly supported by his government. In this case, should the president decide to go so far, it will be necessary to request his recall, and if that should be done it is stated positively that the Austro-Hungarian government will hand passports to Mr. Penfield, the American ambassador in Vienna. Thus there arises the possibility that Germany will act in precisely the same fashion. In short, should the matter reach the stage where the United States will demand the recall of M. Dumba and Austria-Hungary hands Mr. Penfield his passports, Germany will dismiss Mr. Gerard, the American ambassador in Berlin, and recall Count von Bemstorff, the German ambassador.