The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1899-12-28
AA!65aaiiIRst
England

reached an agreement which to-day is
the most mysterious diplomatic secret In
all Europe. The mysterious agreement
between Great Britain and Germany,
which is exciting SO much concern In
Europe, Is yariously interpreted the most
probable explanation Of its tenor being
hazardcd by an English statesman. who
believes it gives Germany free hand in
the Kaisers pet project of establishing
great German colonial empire In Asia
Minor.
Ii Germany unltes its fleet with Great
Britain and holds its army ready to
march against France and Russia the
proposed European coalition will end in
buster. II, on the other hand. Germany
shall finally decide to make terms with
France and Russia, trusting to an agree
ment with those powers TO give 1t what
it wants in Asia Minor or any other
qnartrr of the globe, the coalition Is as
good a. formed.
The Smaller Powers.
The attitude OF the smaller powers Is
worthy of consideration, for they could
hardly escape being drawn into any con-
troYersy which involves Great Britain,
Russia. France aud Germany.
Take Italy first Italy is almost :he
only exclusively Mediterranean power.
and must, for its own protection. exercise
considerable voice in the control Of
that great inland ocean. II is n MEM
her Of the dreibund, that offensive and
defensive alliance which calls Italy's
army into the field whenever Germany
or Austria, or both, are attacked. IL
Germany involves Itself in war either for
or against Great Britain. Italy, by the
/ terms Of the dreibund, is bound to assist.
But aside from the dreibund, Italy has
| interests, mostly in the Mediterranean.
aud mythical one in China. which al
most compel it TO attach Itself to the for
| tunes Of Great Britain In the present
1 crisis. Italy long has asserted its claim
/ to Tripoi. and by allying Itself with
| Great Britain Italy would be able to
| calm Tiipoh when peace was once more
| restored.
/ Ii may be set down as practically cor
tain that Austria, II it takes any hand
ut all in the international quarrel, will
/ do 50 most unwilling,y, and on the side
| with which Germany allies ITSELF
To many 1t might seem almost ridicu-
lous even for a moment to consider Spain
in connection with the word war" bat
at the same time ii must be remember
ed that Spain easily can put from 1U0,-
| 600 to 10000 men In the field, providing
| the funds were forthcoming. \ loan from
France in the emergency, together with
the hope Of securing the retrocession OF
| Gibraltar from England, might induce
Spain to forget the trouncing II received
from the United States year ago, and
| once more try its fortune at the game Of
| war.
The position Of Turkey might bother
the diplomats ON both sides Of the con
troyersy 1t is dihicult TO see how the
Sultan could be frawn into the war; and
equally difficult to understand how he
could keep out Of 1t. Abdul Hamid IS In
the unfortunate position Of being COM
PEELED to choose sides In possible CON
fiet with the certain knowledge that he
viii lose with either.
lie is bound by the treaty Of Berlin
to guard the Dardanelles against the pas.
sage Of the Russian Black Sea squadron.
He has been enabled by judicious loans
from England TO fortify the Dardane,es
50 strongly with modern Krupp guns
that he can, il he chooses batter the Rus-
sian warships to pieces when they try TO
force their way through into the Medit-
erranean.
If he uses his Knapp guns against
Russia he will have the Cars armies
knocking at his door to the north, and
Bulgaria, Servia and Roumanin ready
to unite to lberate Macedonia, with Aus
trim waiting for convenient opportunity
to seize Suonica Bay.
II, on the other hand, the Sultan. even
tacitly allies himself with Russia by
permitting the Black Sea squadron to
pass unscathed. he will have Germany
and. Great Britain on his back with the
certainty of losing Asia Minor, In add
ton to the Bulgarian uprising and the
loss Of Salonica Bay.
As 10 the little kingdoms Of Europe,
they undoubtedly will be permitted to
remain passive spectators Of the great
international tragedy-to preserve
stolid neutrality In the midst Of the Yor-
tex Of war about them.
War Around the GIobs.
II is almost impossible to appreciate the
magnitude and the horror which must
characterize n war involving Great Brit
ain. Russia. Germany, Austria, Italy,
France and Spain In one general, wide
spread conflict 1t would mean n war
around the globe. All Europe, all Africa,
most of Asia. the islands of the South
Pacific the West Indies, and the north
ern part of North America would be the
scenes Of conflict.
Tho prentest horrors of such war
would only be realized II Germany and
its allies In the dreibund should decide
10 enter the field. Then France and
russia would be assailed from each side
hy the armies of Germany, Austria and
Tfolv With the greater powers engross
cd In war ii is almost certain the conflict
,yonld involve the Balkan States with
turkey, and the Sultan would be compel