New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-08-01
Waiting for the War Signal III
Europe.
Europe.

Although Russia and Germany have not 'O''''
,et IN the breaking point, all the Developments u
,.s,ordo,. indicated the swift approach Of Crisis
,o,o voiscr declared all Germany except Bavaria
s,oto q, war Bavaria being allowed
,nder the constitution of the empire TO make SUI"
aoo,oro,ion for herself Mr. Asquith told the
,,.,.,.,, House Of Commons that Russia had moo-
pized her army and navy and thaV "'ii""D'
uou,d answer with a similar mobilization
rho world looks on in a stunned, incredulous
nav while Europe is rushing forward to s'upen-
-. ootastrophe. It has heard much OF the re-
s,rs,nipe powers Of diplomacy and OF the ooS'''ie'
Dut IN the path OF war by the CULTIVATION oi "
,,,,,,.e-ss1 belief in arbitration. We have oeeo
ia again and again that the fnanciers OF the
world. largely denationalized in their sympa'nis'
and interests would never permit the great Id
,,ons 70 impoverish themselves by general wal
4. tightening Of the screws Of credit II mas Deei
Ia uou,d bring most chancelleries to their
senses.
yot in the present outburst OF bellgereney all
.haso restraints have been scorned. diplomacy
hoe sccomnlished nothing The Hague court ana
che theory of international arbitration nave oeen
.ont 70 the lumber room. The protests OF 'ne
r,o,or market have gone UNDECIDED. The stagger-
,, cost IN life and the vast burden of debt to he
,mposcd both on this generation and its successors
weigh as nothing in the balance against race anu
national snimosites and the blind passions OF
controlling groups which think that they see ii
war the best means Of accomplishing deep seated
political purpose
There must be enormously powerful agencies
working for war in nations as civilized as Ger
4 many and Austria-Hungary are and as likely TO
lose as much by war as they are Russia is SUN
oretty much the Russia of Alexander the First
time ready TO respond without question 10 sum-
mons 70 war from the head of the state. Isolated.
.o,t.srnnortinp without a great external com
merce 10 be endangered, Russia has relatively
LITTLE 70 lose. even < defeated. But Austria
Hungary stakes her political existence on the out
come Of big war, and Germany, win or lose,
risks the splendid commerce and the mercantile
marine which she has built up in the last twenty
years.
II must be that military castles in these two
countries feel that war, with all its dangers, is
better for them than the slowly losing struggle
they are now making against the oncoming demo
cratic revolution.
The war spirit in these two countries has been
fomented until it has become almost an obsession
with many and militarsm has come to be ac-
cented by a large element as the only safe barrier
AGAINST the encroachments OF social democracy.
The Zabern incident showed how quickly German
sentiment reacted against the most modest re
buEe 10 military arrogance military aristocracy
i Indifferent to economic pressure exerted for
neace II is reckless Of the consequences of war,
and the evident recklessness of Austria Hungary
and Germany in precipitating war can be explain
able only on the ground that a very powerful and
extensive class welcomes war as the possible SOL
yent ~ internal as we'll as Of external difficulties
A general European war will certainly solve
MANY existing problems 1t will also create new
oras nv the time il ends dynsstes and consti-
tutIons may be shattered and new turn given 10
Europe's political development,