New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-07-26
Dates from 1878, When The
Powers Settled Balkan
Peninsula.
SITUATION LIKELY TO
INVOLVE ALL EUROPE
Angles from Which the Govern
ments of Old World Regard
Present Struggle.

The Austro- Servian crisis dates from
1878.
In that year at Berlin the great
powers OF Europe rearranged the
Raikan Peninsula. and two OF them
confirmed their ambitions for self-ag-
grandizemcnt. Russia strengthened her
cid resolution to acquire CONSTANT
uonlc by transforming Bulgaria into
Russian province. and Austria Hungary
renewed her determination to gam an
outlet on the 4Igean at SalonIca ana 90
extend her Adriatic frontage by crush
inc and absorbing Servia, Albania and
Macedonia.
The Russian plans were defeated by
the genius and valor OF Alexander OF
Battenburg and stephen Stamoulon'
Those of Austria seemed iar more
likelv TO succeed. The Berlin treaty Of
1878 gave ner temporary control OF tne
two great Servian provinces OF Bosnia
and Herzegovina. and also Of the
smaller saniak OF Novi Bazar lying be
tween Servia and Montenegro, and II
so shut Servia in among other states
as TO make her almost entirely de-
rendent upon Austria Hungary for com
nercial or other intercourse with the
rest of the world ?
"a
Austro- Hungarian policy was to domi-
neer over Servia in every possible way
20 make her realize and confess her
deuendence upon her big northwestern
reighbor. and to drive. coax, crush or
starve her into surrenderlng her lnde-
pendence and becoming mere prov
ince of the Dual Realm. As a long
step toward this end, Austria hungary
a few years ago. in gross and cynicai
collation. of the Berlin treaty. forclDly
annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina. But
in doing so she overreached herself. Tor
she thus FASTENED the formation OF that
Balkan League which in one OF the
most amazing wars on record drove the
Turks out of Macedonia and Albania
and most of Thrace. and partltloned
nine-tenths of the former Turkish En-
pire in Europe among the four mem
bers of the league.
The Puppet Albania.
This wellnigh fatal blow at Austrian
ambitions aroused the Dual Realm 10
desperate efforts. and through threat
OF a general European war IT induced
tho other great powers to back, or at
least TO sanction. it's course in inter
venine 20 rob Servia of the legitimate
into a kingdom which should be a mere
puppet in Austrian hands. Meantime
agents rrovocateurs were sent lnt21
Croatia. which is a Serb country held
in subsection by Austria-H Hungary, to
create protexts for still further OPP
pressing it. and some were sent also
into Bosnia and Herzegovina, II not
into Seryia itself.
All this naturally embittered the
mlliors Of Serbs who are held subject
in Austria Hungary and melted them
20 form societies and to agtate FOR
their Liberation. There is no indlca--
ton that the Servian government had
ANYTHING to do with these movements,
though. Of course. it could not help re-
gardng them alphabetically. A month
ago occurred the assassination of the
Austro-Hungarian heir presumptive at
the Bosnian capital in circumstances
which we're mysterious and suspicious,
but which did not reflect upon the Ser
Wan government. The Austro-Hunga-
rian government, however. seized upon