The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-10-09

cupatfon. The Austrian yoke was even more distasteful to them than that Of Turkey. Servia and Bulgaria had gained their freedom, and Bos- mia. might hope to do likewise, with the sick man Of Europe as their master, and with the sympathy and support of the Christian world in gem eral and the Slays in particular. With the Hapsburgs. backed up by the HbhenzoI1ar1as in control Of their destinies. their case seemed hopeless.
 The formal annexation by Austria of the occupied provinces was hasten ed by the fear that Turkey, under the inspiration of the oung Turks might Become powerful enough to re- claim her provinces and drive out the Austrian army of occupation.
 The racial hatred of centuries be- tween SIavs and Germans was aug mented by a hatred based on eco- homie causes. So long as Bosnia and Herzegovina remained even no1nina11y Turkish territory, Sery1a might hope to attain that footho1d on the Adriatic necessary to her material having this end in view was put to nought by Austria When the 1asr Balkan war broke out Servia headed straight for the sea and at Durazzo captured the coveted seaport. Alte- trians and German diplomacy depriv-
 
 victory and set up the little buffer state of Albania to her servian aspir- a.tions
 Pigs and poultry played a large part in the clashes between Austria and Servia which have finally set Flu. rope ahane. The Servfan farmers raised tremendous quantities of pork CTS and chickens of unusual quality. If able to ship their products to and A11x xfx-3a fr4 % Of central Europe, or by way of Adriatic ports. Servia would have be- come rich and prosperous country from her exports of hogs. hens. and eggs alone. But Austria set up bar rier by maintaining. quarantine regu- it's markets. Every hog and chicken raised in Servia was found by Aus trian examiners to be "diseased," :" and Servians farmers were thus kept in a state Of extreme poverty. For more than thirty years the Serb farmers received only from two to three. cents each for chickens, less than a dollar per head for large hogs and an aver age of about five cents for hams, while a gaIIantry and determination seldom surpassed, it is at least in part because they have so long been de- prived of reaptng the just rewards f their toi1. Ask any American poultry farmer what he would do if forced to sell his hens for two cents each and his eggs for a half a cent a dozen, and you will see the light of battle in his eyesi
 On the Servian side the necessity for an Adriatic port was economic. On the Austrian side the prevention of the realization of the Serb ambi- ton was just as vital. although poli- ticaI in nature. With a seaport, Servia would become prosperous and powerful and able to put into effect the aspirations of the Pan Serb Un- ion. A great Serb empire would mean the downfall of the dual monarchy. The Hapsburg dynasty. in opposing the Servian plans, was lighting for it's throne. Austria has a. Serb popu- lation Of 5,5o0.00O. and nearly all of these would be alienated by the suc- cess of Servian projects. Millions of other Austrian S1avs might join in the revolt Servia had to be kept in sirbjection at all hazards if the Dual Monarchy was to be saved from dis ruption. The fighters on both sides are animated by age-o1d animosities, and tremendous issues are at stake. But one must not forget the poultry and the pigs Servia might have for gotten it's dreams and it's hates if it's hens and hogs had been given a square deal!