Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1914-08-15
RACE RIVALRY
MAKES RUSSIA
WELCOME WAR
Pan-Slavism Against Pan-Ger-
manism the Appeal Of the
Car to His People.
CRITICAL TIME FOR EUROPE
Enthusiasm With Which the Conflict
Has Been Hailed Is ominous-
Strength Of Fighting Force Of
That Vast Country Is
Little Known.


New York. - Pan-Slavism against
Pan-Germanism is the, issue which
little Servia launched when the EN-
peror of all the Ruseias took up the
quarrel with Austria-Hungary. Rus
STA could want no better ground for
war. Already the popularity of her
aggressive big brother attitude to all
the Slavs has been attested In st.
Petersburg. 1t has been a long time
since war has appealed with the same
favor to so large a part of the cars
people. Smarting under the recollec-
ton of the Inflated Japanese conflict,
which commercial interests fastened
upon an Indifferent nation, and mind
full of past German threats and the
very recent German browbeating,
which kept Russia in check during the
last Balkan scramble, Russians will
not stand aloof from a war which APP
peals to the popular fancy with a
Pan-Slavic rallying cry. And when
all of Russia puts its heart into a
SLTuBBlb lut lllllc may wen hoNO al
rived which Bismarck foresaw.
1T will be a critical time for Eu-
rope" said he, IF Russia should pro-
duce a strong statesman who, in pur-
suing a given bold policy, would not
shrink from sacrificing the lives of a
few hundred thousand or even of a
million men,"
Russia's Potential Destiny.
Who can say that the time has not
arrived? The bold policy can be no
less than a Slavic challenge of the
Germanization process which has been
steadily at work in the near East.
The hundreds of thousands, even mil
lions of men for sacrifice are not
wanting. The strong statesman alone
is needed to make prophecy good, and
only the event can prove that he is
lacking.
Bismarck was not alone in recog-
nizing Russias potential destiny. She
has been a country slow to rise from
a lethargy of medieval unenlighten-
ment. But the resources OF her limit
less area and the physical and intel
lectual possibilities of her people have
long Been recognized as potent factors
to be reckoned with in the future of
Europe. Champions of the Slav on
many sides have hailed Russia as the
coming world power. says the Evening
Post.
Slavs there are a-plenty to menace
the allied German powers, even If
there were not allied French arms on
Germanys other flank and Britain's
naval supremacy to cope with. Slavs
have spread over all of eastern Eu-
rope, from the Arctic to the Adriatic
and the Aegean seas.
When Russia Aided SerVia.
For over a thousand years these
Slavs have peopled Europe east of the
Elbe river. And for centuries they
kept the hordes of Cossacks, Turks
and barbarians off Europe. Russia in
those days was called the nation OF
the sword" This will not be the first
time that that sword has interviewed
for Servia. After 400 years of vassal-
age to Turkey the Serbs rebelled in
1904, and then only Russian interven-
ton saved them from defeat.
What renders the Russian menace
so formidable in the present juncture
is the unusual enthusiasm which is
being displayed. Ordinarily the huge
population of III ,O59,9O0 people is
rather apathetic toward the attitude
taken by their emperor. At present,
Judging from the demonstrations re-
ported from st. Petersburg. the czar
may reasonably count upon having be-
hind him the 100000 Slavs among
his subjects. Moscow and Odessa have
seen similar demonstrations within
the past few days, and if, as it is as
serted, the ear himself assumes
command as generalissimo- of all the
forces, the wave of enthusiasm is ex-
pected to sweep over the whole empire
Russia's Latent Strength.
Who knows what is the strength of
the Russian bear, once he is reused
In sullen fury? In the ten years fol-
lowing the Russo-Japanese war Russia
has strengthened her army and navy,
and has materially cut down the time
required for the mobilization OF her
forces by eliminating many OF the
difficulties attendant upon transporta-
tion and equipment OF troops. Her
quiet advances toward becoming a
Power to be feared by the most for
midable European nation have been
recognized in a vague way Just what
her potentialities are even Russia her
self can only guess.
Certain IL is, however that the Rus.
sian nation would welcome the oppor-
tunity TO retrieve the prestige lost in
her encounter with her previously in
significant adversary Of the far East,
With the average Russian, as with any
student of Russia's last war. II is
49, tha ..rowlI Ia. go,