New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-07-29
Austria.Hungary Rejects Medla'lon
and Declares War.


,rs,r,a Hungary declared war on SerVla YES
terdsv as If TO show its Impotence with inc e
forts of Great Britain France and l'aE 10 ""''
bost,ties through mediation. The government At
Wanna hos heen bent on war with Seryia at an!
cost. II made no serious attempt 10 e''''''
demands on Servia by the ordinary me'nou' VI
,,u u did NOT expect or desire dipo-
matte settlement.
u-,,, -rs,ed the aged Francis Joseph off his
foot the Austrian war party wanted 10 i'"Ae wv
most Of long-coveed opportunity 10 s'iiNo AZ
servia The ultimatum to Belgrade was i''''
o,o,,rc wedge. It is significant that the vienna
Foreign Office says that even II SerV'" S"o"''
vield to every one Of Austria-Hungarys dein'n'S
No settlement on that basis would now De az
conted. The crushing and spoiation OF Ser'l"
ORC the urinary aims of those who now con'io'
the policy Of the Dual Monarchy
With tho yiennese government in that reckless
temper. it is not very surprising that the "erni'n
rmneror did not care to join Great Britain Italy
ond Franco in insisting that Austria-Hungar!
sbould accept mediation. Austria Hungary Has
ALWAYS played secondary role IN the lr'i'o
Alliance and the Emperor naturally hesltateS 10
robrlo an alv which has long gratefully accepted
his leadership The Austro Hungarian politicians
are bitten with the war madness, and perhaps
Germany feels that the madness must have some
outlet.
l., doclninr to promote mediation the German
Foreign Office is forced into awkward admissions
II SAYS that lit cannot be expected that great
power having dispute with smaller neiSnooi
will submit the matter to European areopagus
That goes to the heart of the logic which AuS'rla'
Hungary has followed. Why treat small neigh
hor with the international respect which is yielded
70 larger neighbor? The greater the disparity
in size the greater the disparity in respect Be
cause servia is small Austria Hungary has made
demands which would not have been made on
larger power and is hoping TO capitalize these lie
mands in indemnties and annexatons Of terri
tory.
For the last six months the Austrian neWSpa-
pers have been full of reports Of trials for sedi-
ton of Ruthenians charged with having treason
abo relations with Pan-Slavst organizations in
Russia. The Czechs of Bohemia are also suS-
pected of maintaining such relations. Russian
societies undoubtedly agitate among the SlavS of
Austria Hungary. just as Seryian societies have
fomentcd sediton among the Serbs of Bosnia and
Herzegovina Many Italians are similarly engaged
in encouraging scdtion among the ltalian-speak-
ing subjects of the Dual Monarchy in the Adriatic
provinces
Has the government at Vienna ever issued an
ultimatum TO Russia or to Italy demanding the
disbandment Of nationalistic societies and the
punishment Of individual aeitators, or has it in
sisted that Austro Hungarian officials should par
tcipate in any action taken against them? by
no means That would be overlooking the vital
difference between picking quarrel with a
biz neighbor and picking a quarrel with little
one
The failure Of Great Britain France and
Italy to induce Austra-Ilunsary TO listen to
reason leaves little hope Of avoiding a general
European conflict. The lack Of sef-restrant ex-
hbited in Vienna may be parallcled in
other capitals, while race and national almost
ties burst into sudden consuming fame Under
Francis Joseph Austria Hungary has fought two
disastrous These brought suffering and hui
initiation chiefly to his own subjects But the
war in which he is about to plunge Europe not
only will shake the foundations OF the Dual Mon.
arcby. but spread ruin and destruction all around
the world.