The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1912-12-03
GERMANY WILL
STAND BY AUSTRIA
Imperial Chancellor Gives Rus
sia Warning,
TRIPLE ALLIANCE INTACT

Declares In Event of War Over Ser
vian Dispute kaiser's Government
Will Draw the Sword to Aid Her
Allies.
Berlin, Dec 3.-The imperial chan
cellor, DR.. Won Bethmann-Hollweg, ut
tered a plain warning to Russia that
in case hostilities should arise out ol
the Austro-Servian difficulties, Ger
many would draw her sword to assist
her allies.
The imperial chancellor was at this
point of his speech heartily applauded
by many of the members present.
Continuing, DR.. Won Bethmann-Hol
veg declared the beligerents in the
present war did not dispute the right
of the great powers to have word in
the final settlement of the Balkan
question in which their interests were
all involved. The wishes of the pow.
ers, he said, would carry greater
weight if they were presented collec-
lively. Negotiations with that end in
view were now proceeding, and he
hoped they would result successfully.
Germany, he said, like several OF
the other great powers, was interested
in preserving Turkey as a powerful
economic and political factor. He was
able, he said, to deny reports that the
great powers or several of them were
planning the acquisition of Turkish
territory as result of the war. 1t was
assumed the imperial chancellor was
referring to the report that England
was about to proclaim formal pro-
tectorate over Egypt.
The vigorous tone adopted by the
imperial chancellor surprised the
house, which was expecting the usual
diplomatic assurance that everything
was going well.
The imperial chancellor made this
declaration in the course of a speech
in the reichstag discussing the Balkan
situation. 1t was a repetition of the
statement made at the time of the
controversy over the question of Bos-
MIA and Herzegovina, in 1908, which
then caused an immense sensation in
the European capitals. A Though at
that period it first threatened to sweep
away the pacific Russian cabinet, the
current of feeling aroused among the
Slavs ultimately brought peace.
DR.. Won Bethmann-Hollweg, afts
summarizing the efforts of the grea
pofers in the fTst place to delay the
outbreak in the Balkans and later on,
when war was found to be inevitable,
to localize hostilities, passed on to the
question of the interests of the great
powers directly affected by the final
settlement. He said:
when our allies, ria-Hungary
and Italy, in maintaining their inter
ests are attacked-although this is not
the present prospect-by third party
and thereby threatened in their exist
ence, then we, faithful to our COM
pacts, will take their part firmly and
decisively.
Then we shall fight side by side
with our allies for the maintenance of
our position in Europe and in defense
of the security and future of our own
fatherland.
81 am convinced that we have the
whole nation behind US in such pol
ICY"
Germany's threat means that in the
event of hcstilities, in which she de-
clares she will join, the Triple ALI
ance, composed of Germany. Austria
and Italy, would face the Triple En-,
tente, Great Britain, France and Rus
sia, in one of the greatest wars in
history.
Germany's warning, coming at this
time, when the Balkan war is in fair
way of settlement, is evidently intend
ed to curb Servia in her demands for
territorial expansion toward the Adri-
attic coast, question that has been
regarded as the most serious menace
to the peace of Europe growing out of
the war between the Balkan allies and
the Turks.