Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1914-09-03
BALANCE OF POWER
Preservation Of That Is What
Drove England to War.
II Present Equilibrium Of the Great
Powers Of Europe 10 Disturbed.
Her Own Maritime Supremacy
viii Be Menaced.
BY BURTON L. FRAZIER,
Staff Correspondent Of the interna'
tIonal News Service.


tIonal News Service.
London.-The balance OF European
power Is the object of the stupendous
war now rending all Europe, Not SYM
patty with Servia or Austria. nor fra
ternal feeling for Slav or Teuton, not
provisions of the triple alliance or the
triple entente drew the great powers
into titanic death grapple, but the
threatened overturning of the balance
Of power
Why did England declare war
against Germany and send her troops
to the continent and her fleets into the
North sea and the Mediterranean to
stand beside France and Russia
against Germany and Austria-Hun'
gary? That is a question which the
British public and perhaps the people
of the United States did not clearly
understand in the heat of the moment.
when the war began.
Contrary to popular opinion, Eng
land did not hot-headedly espouse the
cause of little Servia nor blindly FOL
low the lead of France and Russia,
her allies In the triple entente. Eng
land did not allow either her sympa-
thies nor her diplomatic obllga.
tons to run away with her She de-
clared war to preserve the balance or
power In Europe. That is the stake IN
this most farreaching war.
The full gravity of the present Eu'
ropean situation cannot be appreciated
unless II Is clearly and definitely un.
derstOod that in this great interna.
tional confiagration England could not.
In her own most vital interest, afford
to stand out.
1t was not a matter OF sympathy, OF
philanthropy or OF international honor.
as some of the talk in parliament
might have indicated at the time Eng
lands action was being discussed, but
a matter of self-preservation.
BY the balance OF power is meant
the control OF Europe. The object OF
Great Britain's foreign policy Is to
keep the great powers in equilibrium.
The increased strength Of the triple al.
lance, brought about by the enormous
military and naval development OF Ger.
many, forced the dual alliance Of
France and Russia. In the same way
the rise of Germany led to the conclu'
sion Of the entente cordiale between
England and France, which, on being
extended to Russia, resulted in the
present triple entente.
The whole security of the British
empire, economically, commercially, in
dustrially, as well as in naval and
military power, depends on the main
tenance of the balance of power.
BY balance Of power is meant the
equal, or as nearly equal as possible,
distribution of power among the six
great nations. such a distribution as
has prevailed since 1870. Should any
one nation become too powerful by
the ABSORPTION of another state or
group of small states. 1t would cause
all over-balance Of power and Europe's
equilibrium would be upset.
Thus II was that Germany, fearing
the long-threatened PanSlavic union,
jumped into the conflict. In like man
ner Russia. England and France feared
that Austria Hungary had designs on
Servia and other small Slav states OF
southeastern Europe and might an
mex them If she were victorious in the
war. This would have given Austria
and Germany too much Of the balance
OF power and would have upset the
equilibrium in the other direction.
Great Britain cannot ,jeopardize her
maritime supremacy, safeguarding her
communication with her overseas do
minions, Canada. Australia, India and
Africa, by running the risk of any one
power or group of powers obtaining
ascendency on the continent There
fore England joined the war.