Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-08-25
dMisrrllaneuus Reaaina.
FUTURE MAP OF EUROPE.
Veteran Diplomat Thinks There Will
Be Few Changes.

in Europe?
practically nothing, except the
loss of thousands of lives and millions
of dollars"
This is the summary of the situa-
ton abroad as seen by a veteran
! European diplomat now living in
America.
Boundary lines of some countries
may be changed a little" he continu-
ed, but not one of the great nations
now drawn into this conflict can hope
to be the gamer to any great extent.
In fact, so little reason did there ap-
pear for a general war that | was in
clined to the belief that some sort OF
peace arrangement might be worked
out, even after Austria had invaded
Servia.
Suppose Germany and Austria were
to win over Russia. Suppose, even
that Russia would go down to tre-
mendous defeat. What would Ger
many gain? Land! Well, she might
cut off a piece of territory from Rus
sia, but it would be of no value to her.
The inhabitants would be Slavic, ana
in a continuous state of unrest, so
that the disadvantages of territorial
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT would far outweigh
the advantage.
In the event of a victory of that
kind Austria, of course, might carry
out the plan that has often been i'm
puted to her-namely, that of making
an Austrian province of the Balkan
states. But here, too, there would be
tremendous difficulties in permanent
ly subduing an alien people. Race
hatred would burn for years, and
burst out every once in while into
flame that would scorch the victors.
France, of course, if drawn into
the conflict, will exert every effort to
regain Aisace-Lorraine from Ger
many. But here they will face tre-
mendous task for Germany has made
practically a solid fortress along the
frontiers of those provinces. Com
paratively a few men could defend
them against a successful invasion
from France.
France, moreover, has strong neeed
of all the forces she can command to
keep the border intact, lest an invad-
ing army of combined Austrian and
German and perhaps Italian troops
march in and lay the country waste.
Italy has nothing at all to gain
and that is the reason she is so diff
dent about precipitating herself into
the cauldron at the present time.
Nothing but the most alarming situa-
ton will draw her from her stand off
attitude.
England can gain no added terri
tory-in fact any land that she might
win on the continent would be bur-
den almost insupportable to her. She
has plenty of difficulties with her pres
ent colonies. Of course, her aim will
be to destroy the German navy, or at
least, so to shatter it that it will be
negligible quantity for years to come,
leaving England undisputed queen of
the seas.
"Russia's desire is to get an outlet
on the Mediterranean sea. But how
can she accomplish that in the pres
ent crisis? She surely cannot be an
ally TO Servia and the other Balkan
states, and then take their land away
from them to gain her end. Perhaps
she will try to drive Turkey out of
Europe and accomplish her purpose
that way This will precipitate new
element in the conflict, whose conse-
quences are so far-reaching as to be
staggering.
Suppose, for instance, that Russia
and her ally, England, should prove
victorious, do you suppose for one
moment that England would permit
the czar to gain his purpose of a
Mediterranean port? Not if it could
be prevented, for England's suprem-
acy on that sea would then be a mat
ter of dispute with a strong rival
power.
Austria is the only nation that
has been drawn into this conflict by
fate. Her national prestige would be
greatly lowered if she permitted to go
unpunished the murderer of one of
the members of her reigning house at
the instigation of a foreign society.
1t would be the same as if the MeXi-
can Constitutionalists should conspire
against the life of President Wilson,
and accomplish their purpose. But
one way of retaliation would be left
to the United States and that would
be by invasion of Mexico.
Austria chose well her moment of
attack. All her crops are harvested
and stored. On the other hand, the
fields of Servia and of Russia, with
climate somewhat more backward,
are laden with grain, waiting to be
garnered. In fact, some of the Rus
sian crops cannot be harvested until
the third week in August.
This resolves itself, therefore. in
to a business proposition-striking
while you are prepared, while your
neighbor is unprepared. Russia was
sparring for time until her crops
could be safely harvested, but Ger
many stepped up at the critical mo-
ment and precipitated the crisis that
will force her workers to leave the
fields and take to war. This will
be a serious drawback to long
drawn-out war, for it will not be long
exhausted and the people on the
verge of want."-BroOklyn Eagle.
MARION'S LEAP FOR LIFE
Tradition cave Aorea CIa.rad Eanoa