Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-08-12
Summary Of Main Events
Leading Up to Present
Clash of Arms
.What- is Il an about?',

| w nat Is II all ABOUT!
That question has beer heard al
most as frequently in Honolulu dur
| ing the past week as the universal
query, What's the latest war news"
| One of the best summaries of the
European situation recently published
| is that in the New York Evening Sun
Of July &c. The Sun gives the follow
| ing light on the fast-hurrying war
events of Europe:
For the third time in the last five
years the two great groups of Euro
pean powers, the Triple Alliance and
the Triple Entente. stand face to face
with the obvious possibility that war
may result from the clash of rival
purposes. Today Russia, France and
Great Britain are in one camp, Ger.
many, Austria and Italy in the other.
and between the two lies the old ques-
ton of European balance of power.
In 1903. when Austria annexed Bos.
| MIA, France. Great Britain and Russia
protested. The annexation was in
| fact an express violation of the agree
ment made in the great congress of
/ Berlin after the Russo-Turkish war
| 1T not merely increased the territory
| of a member of the Triple Alliance
but IL extinguished the hope of a lit.
tie Slay state racially. politically, re-
/ ligiously related to Russia
"At the critical moment in 1909 Ger.
many appeared "in shining armor,"
| declared for Austrian purposes and
threw her sword into the balance.
Russia and her allies were unready
4
the crushing and humiliating defeat
but the consequences of the defeat
were manifold From that hour began
Russian intriguing in the Balkans to
promote that unity which was present.
Jly to destroy Turkey.
In 1911, when Germany sent her
warship to Agadir, the two groups
came into collision again. In 1909
Germany had threatened Russia; in
1911 she menaced France, demanding
as the price of recognition of a French
lprotectorate in Morocco huge terrific.
rial grants for herself But this time
the British fleets assembled, Russian
armies were modified, and finally
Lloyd George made the memorable
speech which amounted to warning
to Germany that England stood with
France
Then it was Germanys turn to
yield, as it had been Russia's in 1909.
Some territorial gain she did make in
the swamps of the Ubanghi, but Mo-
rocco became French, German prestige
was terribly shaken, and the passion.
ate resentment of the German people
has found expression ever since in the
press and in the utterances of many
of her public men.
The defeat of the Triple Alliance
in Morocco was quickly followed by
disasters more serious. Italy went to
Tripoli and in making war upon Tur.
key attacked power regarded in Ger.
many as an ally, whose army, German
trained. was confidently expected to
stand with the Triple Alliance on the
great day Of European conflict
Defeated by Italy. Turkey was next
compelled to face the alliance of the
Balkan states, whose union was the
direct product of Russian diplomacy.
Kumanovo and Jenidje-Vardar, Turk
ish power in Europe collapsed and the
small Balkan states, increased by great
territorial gain, stood on Austria's
southern frontier barring her road to
the Aegean, and in the case of Servia
threatening to play the role on the
Danube that Sardinia had played on
the Pc and unite the southern Slavs
as Sardinia united Italy.
To prevent this Austria reserted
to desperate tactics. Like Germany. |
she had expected Turkish victory, and |
the Osmanli ruin found her unpre-
pared. Toward Servia she adopted |
bullying tactics. To break UP the |
Balkan alliance, which was in fact a |
Russian creation and an adjunct of |
the Triple Entente, she promoted the
dissension among the Balkan allies |
which resulted in the second war.
But again Austria backed the |
wrong horse Not only was Bulgaria |
defeated and Servia still further in
creased in territory and in prestige,
but Austrian support for Bulgaria I
had alienated Rumanfa, hitherto the
steadfast friend of the Triple Alli- |
ance, and precisely as the Seryians /
began to dream of regaining Bosnia !
and Herzegovina Rumania cast en-
vious eyes on the millions of Ru-I
manians in Hungary.
meantime, as the situation of Aus |
tria had been compromised abroad,
it was weakened at home. Half the /
population of the Dual Monarchy is
Slay, but the ruling races are Ger
man and Magyar Austrian bullying
of Servia provoked protest, riot, dis !,
order, at home. In Bohemia. Croatia,
Galicia, Slav populations protested In
vain, but found cause for hope and
enthusiasm in the triumph of the
Serb.
"Only one diplomatic triumph
Austria brought home in her CAM
pafgn. Serviaii aspirations for a
window on the sea- were thwarted
and the Albanian Kingdom was
created. But no sooner had ii been
created than the rival ambitions of
italy and Austria began to clash and {
European observers forecast a quar-
ri between Austria and Italy such |
4. 3.||e./ Il Holstein provoked be-
= 80, Il