Omaha daily bee., 1914-05-14

tween the acts. How long this will last
nobody knows-perhaps a year. perhaps
only q few months.
CSar wins over ROumnnin.
one important result Of the Balkan con
nict IL the change in the attitude Of
Rumania towards Austria Hungary. Up
20 a few months ago Rumania was al
ways looked upon as being the friend OF
Austria. Military strategists, indeed,
in considering Austria-Hungary' strength
usually added Rumania's five army
corps. But In the negotiations over the
treaty Of Bucharest. Russian Ciplomatists
cleverly contrived to place Austria in an
unfriendly position towards Rumania.
Count Berchtold's efforts to secure a
revision OF the treaty in the interests Of
Bulgaria gave great offense to the Ru-
manians, who have always been very
jealous Of the threatened supremacy OF
that country in the Balkans. Rumanias
geographical position compels It to rely
either upon Austria Hungary or Russia.
And II the dual monarchy is going to sids
with Bulgaria, Rumania will have no
alternative but TO turn TO Russia.
But here again dynastic views must be
taken into account. King Charles is a
strong ruler, who has always been
friendly to Austria and neither he nor hts
ministers are likely to be greatly moved
by popular outbursts. They are con.
vinceo that a close union with the triple
alliance is the surest way TO defend their
country against the overwhelming might
of Russia. But whether King Charles
successor will take an equally strong
! stand against public opinion is another
question.
Talk of General War.
From the violent Of the articles re-
Gently published in the semi-official Jour
nails in st. Petersburg, Vienna and also
in Berlin, Il might be imagined that a
great European war was inevitable. but
happily, this view finds no support in re-
| Eponsible quarters. The truth is that
several comparatively small things have
occurred recently to excite much irrita-
ton between Russia and Austria-H Hun
gary. Austria introduced very vexetious
passport restrictions on the frontier,
which caused much annoyance to Rus
sian travellers, Galacia is said to be
swarmed with Russian spies, while Rus
sian Poland is overrun with Austrian
secret agents. There has been a series OF
espionage trials in Vienna, where the
accused have been shown to be in the
direct employ OF the Russian military at
tache and contrary to the usual practice
in these proceedings no attempt was
made to keep secret the name of the
foreign country implicated. Many thou
eands OF Russian roubles are alleged to
have been spent in trying to corrupt the
poor peasants in Galacia, while Austrian
spies have been doing their utmost to
persuade tho Poles across the Russian
frontier that they would be much better
off under Austrian rule.
There have been other things, too, Of
importance. Russia has been spending
large sums in increasing its military
forces in Poland along the German and
Austrian frontiers and also is buildins
some hundreds OF miles of new railways
for strategic purposes. II is believed that
France is urging 1t along, having made
1t large loan upon the understanding
that most of it would be spent on arma.
ments And just now the Russian min
lister of the navy has ordered that nc
/ materials be bought for Russian dock
Yards or private shipbuilding yards from
either Austria Hungary or Germany. This
, action is the more serious as the greater
/ part Of such material is purchased out
side Russia.
But in spite of all these things no seri
Ious person talks Of war. In fact, none o
Il the powers interested is really ready
Russia wants to complete it's railways
and TO increase it's army sufficiently &C
repress the revolution which would GER
tainly break out at home Immediately
war was declared. And Austria -Hungar.
Is just now changing It's army from Z
three-year TO siX-year service. whlcl
means considerable dislocstion Of mill
tary forces. And so 1t is generally agrees
in the most competent quarters that afte,
all the peace OF Europe is in no imminen
danger