The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-08-09
The Great Powers.
From the World.

from tAe WOTtQ.
All speculations as to the future balance of
power and influence in Europe must necessarily
be unsafe and superiluous, until we learn in
plain and positive way upon what terms peace
has actually been made in Germany. Mean
while however, it may be worth while to cor
rect the loose fashion i'll which the English
press and portion of our own have begun to
talk about the reduction of Austria 10 a second
rate and even to a third. rate position in Europe.
Such language is quite unusti6ed by any ofthe
propositions for peace which have yet been pub
lished to the world. Neither oy her with
drawal from the Germanic Confederation, which
is but fifty years old, nor by her surrender of
Venetia, which she never possessed at all
until the end OF the last century, which
she lost after WacTam in 1909 and which
was Ieconhrmed to her in 1915, would Austrla's
rank as great European power be lost
To see this plainly, let us glance Tor moment
at what constitutes "great power"
On the 18th OF June, 1866, there existed in
Europe five States recognized as being OF the
first rank, and styled in diplomatic parlance,
| ''ereat powers" These were:-France, Eng
land, Russia, Austria, and Prussia. Numerical
population, OF course, was one element in
deciding the pTe-emnenCe OF these States over
toe rest of the European political family; but 1t
was not the only element by any means. The
population of Turkey, for example, was more
than twice as great as that OF Prussia; but
turkey was not feRdTUeu as Il power VI Jue HTSJ
rank. The population OF Italy was larger by
three millions than that of Prussia; but the
claims OF Italy to a seat by the side OF the i've
great powers on equal terms, though pressed
since 1853, has not yet been acknowledged.
ConsideTa lions OF geographical situation, of
political organization, oil general civilization, OF
commercial energy, all enter into the determi-
nation of this hierarchy of nations. All these
considerations beng taken into the account,
there can be no doubt that, at the conclusion
| OF such peace as is now expected to be made
at Prague, Italy will take her place at once as
sixth great power in Europe; and just a. little
doubt that Austria, while she must lose pTesttge
| relatively to Prussia, will sui retain ner abso'
| lutte rank as one OF the most formidable States
| OF the Ola World.
Relative density of population is one OF the
most important elements OF that sort oil avail
! able strength which is the basis OF calcula.
ton In deciding upon the rank OF states, ana
| since the establishment OF the railway system
the relative extension of that system whlch
| supplements density OF population by moDlllty
| OF population must also be considered. Hence
| 1t Is that the United States, with population
| numerically equal to only about one-halt the
| population of Russia in Europe, and with a
| relative density of population Inferior even TO
| that OF Russia, must yet by reason OF our
vastly more perfect system OF mobilization, be
regarded AS a more powerful empire than that
| of the Gar. The weakness entalled upon
Russia by her sparseness of population and her
wretched internal communications, threw her,
with her sixty millions, at the mercy OF her
enemies in the Crimean war and in any
European conflict beyond her own borders
would put her on a footing of no more than
euuality with such Well-OrganiZed power as
Prussian Germany or Austria. The predomi
nant position OF France, on the other hand
rests mainly upon the extraordinary degree In
which the French empire combines all the ele
ments of available strength. Russia has 3
larger population; Turkey population at least
as large; England has more minuteiy com