The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-08-27
What the War Is About.

What the War Is About.
J An Atchison woman 'phoned the
Globe with the request that an arti-
Gle be printed explaining what the
war is about Those who have read
the telegraphic dispatches and the
explanatory articles which have ap-
peared in the Globe from day to day
understand about the war but for
those who have not followed the news
events the following has been writ
ten:
The primary cause of the war in
Europe is the implacable hatred
which the different European races
hold for each other. The races have
fought many wars against each other
and they differ in religion, tempera-
ment and physical characteristics.
Many persons have believed that
there would never be another Euro
pean war, but on the other hand
many other persons have always in
sisted that war was inevitable and
that the different rulers were only
waiting for pretext to begin hos
tilities
Those who have always said that
|
have been aching for an ex-
cuse to fly at each others throats
are now saying, II told you So
Headstrong rulers and ambitious
soldiers who are seeking promotion,
backed by popular sentiment in the
different countries, have brought
about the worlds greatest catas-
trophe.
The outward cause is centered on
Servia, little corner of Europe.
Servia has several million popula-
ton; an available army of about
100000 men and on the map doesn't
look as big as the state of Kansas
The Servians are Slavs and so are
the Russians. Their religion, Ian
guage and customs are the same and
the Serbs and the Russians are al
ways referred to as cousins. In fact,
in recent years Servia has generally
| been acknowledged as ward of Rus
STA.
| Austria, which is next to Servia,
also contains an immense population
of Slavs, but the royal family is OF
German descent and the Germans
and the Huns are the ruling classes.
Southeastern Europe has been free
for-all battle ground for centuries
and in some of those struggles Aus
tria annexed territory inhabited by
the Serbs.
One of these provinces was Bos-
| MIA, where the Slavs predominant. In
| the recent war with Turkey and Bull
garia the Servians triumphed and
i since then there has been much Sc
cret agitation to inflame the Slavs in
AustriaHungary to revolt the Ger
mans and the Huns and return Bos-
MIA and other provinces to Servia.
The archduke and the archduchess
of Austria, the direct heirs to the
Austrian throne, recently visited one
of the large cities in Bosnia. They
were assassinated by patriotic Serb
who jumped upon the foCtboard of
their carriage and shot them dead
with an automatic revolver. The as
sassin was arrested and in an alleged
confession said that there had been
a widespread plot to kill the arch
duke and archduvhess and that the
plot had been planned and carefully
arranged by Servian army officers
and Servian public officials.
Austria then sent 24-hour ulti-
matum to. Servia. 1t announced that
Austria would declare war unless all
the conspirators were apprehended
and punished and that Servia must
agree to suppress all anti-Austrian
movements. Servia replied that it's
government was in no way respOn-
sible for the assassinatons; that if
any irresponsible Servians were inn
plicated they would be punished and
that drastic measures would be taken
to suppress any movement having for
it's purpose loss or embarrassment to-
the Austrian government Servia
also stated that the only condition
was that Servia be permitted to con-
duct it's own inquiry on Servian soil
and that Austrian officers would not
be permitted to enter Servia to have
any part of the inquiry.
Austria Immediately gave out no:
tice that Servia's reply was filled
with the spirit of dishonesty and de-
clared war When the ultimatum
was first sent to Servia, the car of
Russia sent word that Russia would
resent the occupation of Servian ter
ritory by Austrian troops and re-
quested arbitration France and
England also asked Austria to settle
the question by arbitration, but Aus
tria met all demands with blunt re-
fusals.
From the very first the emperor
of Germany stated that he would
back up Austria in its stand and re-
fused to encourage arbitration of the
differences. AS soon as Austria de-
clared war on Servia and Austrian
troops occupied Servian territory,
the Russian army began to mobilize
along the Austrian frontier. The
emperor of Germany sent word for
Russia to cease mobilization and the
car sent back word that it would
continue. War was then declared by
Germany against Russia
Germany, Austria and Italy are
bound to each other by an alliance.
Russia, France and England have
similar alliance. Because of this al
lance France and England have
been drawn into the struggle to
help Russia and Servia. Italy, how
ever, has run up the white feather as
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