Evening star., 1909-03-14
TELL BATTLE TALES CRISIS IS At HAND
old Second Army Corps at Europes War Cloud Is Hang
Banquet Board ing Low.
ARMY'S HARDEST FIGHTERS TWILL BE SETTLED SOON
They Told Each Other Austria Seeks Excuse Gobbe Up
Last Night Servia.
MEN OF PEACE ALSO THERE ON THAT DEPENDS OUTCOME
Appomatox pie Of servia
of Will
N THAT DEPENDS OUTCOME
At Bottom Is Question of What Peo-
pie of Servia
Will Do.
Special Cablcgram TO The Star.

Special Cabcgram TO The Star.
| LONDON, March 13.-The final crisis in
the European situation growing out of
| the near eastern question has now been
reached and the issue of peace or war
almost certainly will be decided within
the next ten days.
! The key to the solution lies in Vienna,
not Belgrade. and it would be idle to at
| tempt to prophesy what will be the out
come. 1t may be said in general terms
that opinion. official and otherwise east
of Berlin Is pessimistic, while western
Europe continues hopeful.
| There has been further evidence within
| the past few days Of the view expressed
| in these dispatches that Austria would
| welcome any indiscreet act on the part
of Servia which would give her a moral
excuse for a Temporary military cccupa
ton Of the little kingdom. This. of
course, would mean the end of Servia.
for the world knows exactly what
temporary military occupation by Austria
really means.
Austria Is Not Backward.
1t is safe to go a step further. and 1t
| Is assumed that Austria will take
possession of Servia with or without
| further excuse if she thinks she can do
so without provoking a general European
war. That danger. however. amounts al
most to certainty in the opinion of most
| observers outside of Vienna, in the pres
ent state of. affairs. If Won Aerenthal
and his hackers share this view, there
will be war
| We must assume that the Austrian
foreign office will make every effort with
| in the next few days to maneuver into
a position from which it can pursue ag-
gressive measures with some show of
| Justification. She already is forcing
Servia's hand by declaring the latters S
pacific note to the powers unsatisfactory
and ambiguous and demanding direct
! negotiations on all the issues after Servia
has made her pacific intentions more ex
plicit.
Servia's answer to this is expected
| Thursday. Her rulers now understand
the Austrian attitude perfectly. and it is
not to be expected they will be SO fool
hardy as to play into Austria's hands by
sending a reply that is anything but con-
| ciliatory.
What Will the People Sayp
Still Servian public opinion is not alto
gether negligible. and it will be difficult
| for the ministry to justify an attitude
which may seem supine. 1t will not be
possible. for example, for Servia to aban-
don all idea of European conference and
consent to negotiate all questions with
| Austria direct. Nevertheless. Austria will
| almost certainly insist on the latter point,
| and. until Servia yields. she will receive
within few days what Won Aerenthal
calls more accentuated' demands from
Vienna
This is everywhere interpreted to mean
virtual ultimatum and when that has
been flung at the Belgrade government
the self-restraint Of the Servians becomes
a more uncertain factor.
Rumors of Wars.
So the world must expect lot Of SEN
sational rumors and war talk during the
next fortnight. But after the two far
more dangerous features of the Balkan
crisis have been settled peacefully during
the winter 1t would be absurd and revolt
ing that a general confagration should