Norwich bulletin., 1914-08-29


 Alliance of 1872.
 Bismarck astutely brought about an alliance between Russia, Germany and Austria in 1872 as a defensive move against the revolutionary propaganda which has spread from France to Po- land and had also stimulated the activ- | ities of German Socialism and Russian Nihilism. But six years later he again | shattered Russia's dependence upon German gratitude for past support.
 Russia's dream of Constantinople as a seaport of the czar's dominions, long encouraged by Bismarck, was all but realized in 1878, when Great Britain and Austria interposed a threat of war if the Russian armies closed in on the Turkish capital. Russia con- idently looked for German aid in this crisis.
 i But the Berlin Congress, where Bis marck presided. gave to Austria the | Slavonic countries of Bosnia and Her zegovina-thus pushing Teutonic in- | huence 200 miles nearer to the Golden Horn-and forced Russia to be con tent with a part of Roumania~ She had sacrificed 200,000 soldiers to reach the Mediterranean, only to be thrust back by Germany, whose cooperation she felt she had earned. And from that time Russia's hatred has been implacable.
 At the time time, the clash of in terests has stirred up furious anti S1av sentiment in Germany. As long ago as 1882 German presses were pouring out books and pamphlets in- flaming the. antagonism. Of one noted Europe demands the annihilation of Russia as a European great power" Another, published in 1888 and enor- mously distributed, declared:
 Between Germany and Russia there exist. not differences of opinion on leo T1l ,.f, r16 fafa manship which can be settled in one or, the other way, but deep-seated, in effaceable contrasts of race and cul- ture which irresistably press toward an open conflict.
 l With increasing convinction and fervor. the German leaders have preached race war against the Slav. They find their justification in the remorseless growth of the Russian power; the marvellous facility with which she Russianizes and absorbs other races within her empire and the skill with which she has kept alive and increased Pan-Slavic feeling. ir neighboring nations by a propagards of racial and religious kinship. Immediate Menace.
 The rapid growth of Slavic popula. ton and influence not only in the Balkan states, but in Austro-HungarJ l-theoretically a Teutonic country IS clIeu DY OeTTndny- as 0NlQSuCc Slav domination of all southeastern Europe is an immediate menace, tC be overcome only by a war that wil cripple Russia's ambition.
 | The Seriousness of the danger, from the German viewpoint, is apparent So few as 3,000,000 Poles among he 60,000, 900 population have been abl, to present a formidable obstacle tt German unity. But the dream of great Teutonic empire or confedera tion stretching from the North sea t' the Aegean becomes almost fantastit when conditions in the allied Kingdom are examined.
 Indeed, the participation of Austro Hungary in a war of Teuton agains Slav is a self-evident absurity. One subject to preponderance of Ger man population and interests. it is s no longer. The dynasty, the bureau cracy and the officers of the army ar German but political power is rapidl passing into the hands of other race: and only autocracy prevents the com plete submergence of the German ele ment.
 It was in Austro-Hungary, in fac that the Pan-Slavistic movement ha it's birth; and a majority of the pop
 ulation is linked more closely. by tie of blood and religion, to Russia an
 the Serbs than to the so-called Aus trian nation.
 The population figures and thei changes are profoundly significant. |
 1910 Austria had 2S, 324, ,940 inhabitanti and of these, only 9.950.266 were Ger
 mans. There were 6,435, 900 Bohe {. .000, ,000N Poles 3,50O,000 Ruthenian and about 4,000, 900 of other non-Ger man races, the Slavic element outnum
 bering the German by more than
 per cent.
 In Hungary.
 In Hungary of course, these condi ftions are emphasized. Out of a popu
 lation in 1910 of 21,000,0O0, littl
 more than 100000 were Germans. , decrease of 100000 since 1900. In tn
 whole empire, including Bosnia an
 Herzegovina, hardly more than one fifth of the population was German. But the vital fact is that not onl have German emigration and coloniza
 ton failed to create German domina tion. in spite of the very high Germa birth rate, but they have been una
 ble to withstand the vigorous rae qualities of the alien peoples wit whom they have come into contact.
 Bohemia. once Germanized by fore
 las a Slav population of 62 per cen In Prague, its capital. Is per cent ( the people were Germans in 1890 an [ only 10 per cent. in 1900. The gres university. purely German until 1SS 5 | Is now a Czech institution. II The Czech spirit of nationality is { intense that the people refuse to lear German, and disdain to speak it } they do know it Moreover. the Gel [ man element is slowly but surel l yielding to the Slav pressure; whi
 B7 per cent. of the population al 7 Germans, only 33 per cent. of tf school children speak that tongu ) indicating that one-tenth of the ne1 5 generation of Germans will have bs come Czechs.
 In Moravia identical conditions prs 1 vail-a great Slav majority and 3 marked recession of German populs 7 tion, language and feeling. In Aul s trian Silesia the German element sti t leads, but Is losing ground 10 Czeci : and Poles. In Ga1icia 100000 Gel : mans are lost among 4.G00. .onn Pols ; and 3,o00.o00 Ruthenians,
 II Since 1sqO the Cserrrprf r,nr,uiattov,