17 MAY 1902, Page 2

The Vienna correspondent of the Times states that the economic

dispute now raging between Austria and Hungary is becoming most acute. The Austrians perceive, or fancy they perceive, that they have the worst of the economic bargain, and have officially intimated to the Hungarian Ministry that they will not endure it, but will rather give up the Ausgleich or Arrangement between the two countries and let them drift apart. The Hungarians have not yet replied, but they are not fond of yielding, and may run the enormous risk of dividing the Empire into two halves bound together only by the link of the Imperial Crown. Nothing ever happens to Austria either film defeat or quarrels among her States ; but there is no doubt that this dispute is specially serious, first, because it concerns the means of profitable trade, and secondly, because the Austrians are already talk- ing of their "vassalage" to Hungary. We suppose the Emperor will intervene in the end, and successfully ; but he is advised by Count Goluchowski, whose knowledge of economics can be but limited,—witness his speech about the necessity of commercially boycotting America.