Evening star., 1914-07-26
WOULD AFFECT j. S.:
SITUATION ANALYzED
BY DIPLOMATS HERE

The great war cloud that has cast its
shadow over Europe during the past few
days has been carefully watched in
Washington, where, Notwithstanding the
general belief that the United States has
| little concern in the portentous events
| taking place in the near east, it is well
| understood that this country will have
| vital interest. if war does come the Z.
because Of the large number of American
| cltizens residing in the many European
countries that may be involved.
The property r. ,hts of these Americans,
and grave questions concerned with COM
merce, exports and imports and shipping
will furnish this interest
1t was understood in Washington last
! night that number Of the members of
| the staffs of European embassies and
| legations have made flying trips to Wash
| 1ngton during the past few days from the
| summer homes at which they are estab-
! lished. Some of these visitors have placed
| a reporter for The Washington star in
| touch with the causes leading up to the
present European difficulty.
Many Underlying Causes.
| not permit himself. under the crcum-
stances, to be quoted:
There are seven reasons why great
| nations at this time.
THE first of these, and the principal
i cause of the trouble. is the friction still
| remaining between Germany and France
| over Alsace-Lorraine.
! THE second is the strong feeling in
| Russia against Germany.
THE third is the Pan-Slavonic move
ment.
THE fourth is the friction between the
I great number of antagonstic races
bound together under the Austro-Hun-
| garian empire.
THE fifth is the desire of Turkey to
recover the islands off the coast Of
Asia Minor which she lost during the re-
cent war
! THE sixth is the ambition of Servia
J to get an outlet to the sea, a port, and
to recover all the territory under the old
| Servian empire in the 18th century
| THE seventh is the fact that Albania
is fire brand. and that when it was
thought the Balkan war was settled by
the creation of that kingdom such a
| settlement was vain hope
France May Be Behind It.
| Persons thoroughly familiar with the
situation in European politics last night
! made the statement that France is be-
! hind the present difficulty The fact tina,
she has drawn gold from all over the
world wherever she could get it lately
particularly from the United States and
according to noticeable financial reports
| has been boarding 1t. was cited as an
INSTANCE OF her preparations. 1t Is stated
that France for more than a year has
been trying to bring about the present
tense situation, because she has never
abandoned the idea of getting back the
provinces OF Alsace-Lorraine, which she
surrendered as result of her war with
Germany, and that her diplomacy has
been for some time and is now turning
on her effort to embroil Russia and
Germany.
1t is explained that there is hard feel
ing between Russia and Germany be-
cause OF the commercial treaty between
those countries. which expires in two
feeling in Russia since the time of Ivan
the Terrible and Peter the Great. largely
because Tor 4O years the Germans have
controlled the trade of Russia
Pan-Slavonic Movement.
Austria is greatly disturbed because OF
what is called the "Pan-Slavonic" move
ment In that country twenty-five Ian
guages are spoken and the Slavs consti-
tute 40 per cent of her population. Aus
tria is opposed to Servia acquiring greater
power because of the effect such acquisl-
tion would have on the Slav element in
Austria and in Bosnia and herzegovina.
Austria Is not national country. and 1t
would not require great effort on the part
of the powers to resolve her into her
elements. Her map-making included the
taking of a slice off of Italy. Germany
and other countries.
In Transatlantic and in Roumania there
is the strongest feeling against Austria
The Montenegrins are servians and will
do what servia does The Bulgars are
not a Slavic race. but speak the Slavic
language. The Roumanians are Slavic
race but their language is not Slavic
The Roumanian tongue Is of the same
family as the Italian and the French. be-
ing based closely on the Latin.
Austria Blocked Servia.
Servia hopes at this juncture. II possi-
BILE by making war. to recover territory
Continued on Second Page)