The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-15

Is the empire reared by the HapS-
burgs to fall to pieces as have the domains
of the sick man of Europe? VIII the
millions of Slavs under the rule of the
Dual Kingdom, fired by the mighty deeds
of the men of their race in Bulgaria.
Servia and Montenegro, rebel against
the race that holds them in thralldom?
And finally, will the other races that go
to make up what is known as AHstria-
Hungary-the Czechs Poles, Hungarians
and even Italians-soon be at the throats
of the German population of Austria?
These are some of the questions that
are troubling Franz Ferdinand, heir to
the throne of Austria Hungary. And the
answer is, Yes-unless Austria Hungary
can make war while the Balkan allies are
weak after their struggle with Turkey.
Slavs form AZ per cent of the population
of Austria and Hungary. The Slavs are,
therefore, in a huge plurality, for the
other nationalities hate one another so
much that they cannot combine to defeat
this new wave of Slav ambition which is
sweeping throughout the empire. Slavs
and Germans and Hungarians have fought
for over 1000 years. The Slavs could be
kept under so long as Turkey ruled in
the Balkans But Turkeys defeat has
dealt such bitter blow to Austria S
prestige that she now has to maintin a
huge standing army, not for foreign foes,
but to keep her own Slav population from
open rebellion.
The crown prince and his friends know
this. They have been worrying the aged
Emperor to make war on Servia, the
nearest southern Slav state. ever since
Balkan victories disturbed the balance.
The Emperor has resolutely set his face
against war. II am old, and have had a
troubled reign. Let me die in peace" was
all he would say. But the other day. a
quarrel broke out between the present
| monarch and the future one The prince
was more insistent than ever. Have
you seen war?" asked the Emperor.
NO was the answer. But have" re-
torted the Emperor.
But even anxious as they are for war,
the heir presumptive and his war party
do not want general war. They even
do not want to fight the Balkan allies
as whole. They are maneuvering to
embroil them one at a time. Above all
they do not want a general war that
would bring about their heads Russia and
probably France. For despite their ap
parent confidence the Austrian war party
know that they are i'll prepared for a first
class war. The army possesses not a
single general of European reputation
and unless actual warfare discovered a
military genius, which is extremely un-
likely. their army would probably repeat
the ignomnious defeats which have been
its lot for many years past.
Austria has been beaten in every war
she has undertaken since the Emperor
came to the throne. French, Germans
and Italians have always had the best
of the Austrian armies. Many Austrian
|fortresses this winter and spring have
seen fierce mutnies, such as even Russia
has not known. Soldiers have shot their
German and Hungarian officers whole
regiments have refused to obey orders not
given by Slavs. Discomfort is rife in every
garrison where the Austrian flag is un-
furled.
Why then, does /the prince long for
war? Because he believes that the men
who mutiny today In barracks will fight
the government in the open field tomor-
row. He would rather keep. them busy at
war against Russia today. than see
them use government cannon against the
Germans and Hunxarians in the army to-
morrow. The Hungarians have declared
they will not fight for Austria when civil
war comes. They will declare their king
dom independent; the Czechs will declare
bohemia Independent, and the government
will be left with a comparatively small
number of Germans. But IL Austria made
war this summer. when Servta and Bull
garia are exhausted, the Emperors troops
might have a chance.
The Slavs of Austria Hungary are dis
contented because they have for many
generations been treated as badly by the
Germans and Hungarians of the empire
as the Turks treated their brothers In
Macedonia. When Austria got possession
of Bohemia in the seventeenth century,
she determined to make the Protestant
Czechs Roman Catholics. She put the
fear of rack and stake into the hearts
of the miserable slaves she pillaged, but
failed to make Bohemia a living part of
the empire In the same way. the Hun
garians failed to make their many mil
lion Slavs true citizens with equal rights,
and still oppresses them, forbidding them
the ordinary rights of citizenship, such
as their own schools, churches and moth
er tongue in administration. This was
al very Weli SO lOTS as tHe bdAhdH STAY ?
were weak But now that they are VIC
torious. the tables have been turned.
Russias attitude is not pleasant either.
True, the Gar, as the worlds greatest
peace lover, and founder of The Hague
conference. does not want war. But his
people do. The most Ignorant peasants.
who can neither read nor wtite. UNDER
stand what is meant by the Pan-Slav idea
the union OF all Slavs under Russia $
lead 1t is part of his. religion. This
accounts for all the popular agitation
now going on in Russia in. favor of war
against Austria. So far, the Czar and
his ministers have been able to keep 1t
in check but 1t grows more fervent every
day. Counting the Russians, and the
Poles. Austria has the enmity OF nearly
1s7, 100000 Slavs to count WITH. Little Won
der that Franz Ferdina1d would have
war before that imposftg number has
made up its mind to fight Austrian and
German domination.
A factor for an early.war Il the crown
princes wife. who. thd 9h created Prlh-
cess Hohenberg by thl Emperor, cannot
share her husband's throne, as things
stand. as she u not Of royal blood. but