The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-02

Many people in both countries believing that antagonists of such long standing could not get together, considered it as
 of no great consequence. Nevertheless it
 was at least an expression of mutual sym pathy. and Germany never doubted for an instant but that the understanding. whatever it might amount to, was aimed at her. Russia, the ally of France.
 was thrown into the agsroupment and what is known as the triple entente
 came into being.
 Tn the years that have followed it looks as though Williams entire ingenuity has manifested itself in attempts. subtle here or bold there as befit the particular mo- ment to sever the amica ole relations ot l England and France. On one occasion at least he, or those around him, placed 1 Europe on the very verge of war. In 1911 I France and Spain commenced the parIi- 1 ton of Morocco, in accordance with | previous arrangements In which Germany l had acquiesced. Then a bold stroke was made. In July, 1911, Germany sent to I Agadir the famous gunboat Panther. l All Europe looked on in consternation and amazement. As Germany had previ- | ously agreed to the whcle Moroccan programme the Panther obviously had no business there and her presence was a threat It was the customary cry of "spoils of war;" but it was more than that It was blow at the entente cor diale, and test of its strength.
 Suddenness of the Coup France was stunned at the suddenness of the coup, and looked appealingly to England. Several intense days went by while all the world looked on with breath less interest to see what England would 60. But England placed herself at the side of France and the entente was saved. Germany backed away with the spells that France was willing to give her-a vast strip of wild Congo country-and the peace of Europe for the moment was retrieved.
 | The joining of her enemies against her l was a disaster to Germany. but In the meantime her condition at home was be- | coming precarious. In order to promote new industries and complete Germanys s | economical metamorphosis in an abnor-
 mally short time a dangerous system of
 banking had been instituted. German
 bankers borrowed heavily from other na- I tions and loaned, often for scant collat-
 eral, to anyone who needed money to l promote or sustain an industry. The l system was exactly the opposite of the 1 French banking, the most conservative in l the world. Any depression in business meant wholesale failures. Besides. the l socialists were growing increa singly l strong and were scattering broadcast propaganda directed at the thing the sov-
 ernment had spent 40 years in building up
 her military power.
 Like Giant Aeroplane
 l Germany was like giant aeroplane, | it's very velocity gave it the stability it l had; but the moment foreign markets
 were closed oher wares she would be | unable to pay for her imported foodstuffs, her factories would close. payment would be demanded of her foreign debts, which 1 she would be unable to meet; in sh )rt' her whole economic system would col
 lapse. England had firmly placed herself
 in the way of Germany's gaining the com mercial facilities the latter country
 deemed absolutely essential to it's fu- ture.
 Both countries were burdenipg them
 selves almost beyond the limit of cpdur- ance to keep up their armaments. The
 pace set could not be kept up: something
 had to be done. As events have tilrne
 out, 1t seems as though the expedient de- cided upon in Germany was war-to unite the nation behind the Kaiser and save the
 situation. The sooner it should come the
 better, was perhaps the German view, for there was still a chance that the entente had not reached the proportions of ar alliance, and that England might remain neutral if France were attacked. In s'ich case England could be attended to later. if Germany first crushed France So the A furnished the excuse
 Austria Hungary's Part
 It seems that Bismarck entirely igrorel the Balkans as source of danger to the peace of Europe. At the time he was urging Austrian to expand at the expense of the Sultan. he stated that the whole eastern question was mot worth the bones of Pomeranian grenadier' But the Balkans of Bismarck's time were not the Balkans of today. A strong. growing
 nationalistic spirit among these pc .plcs
 has impelled them to push the Sulssn's
 forces step by step southward. This awakening on the other side of the
 Danube has also erected formidable
 barrier in the face of Austrian ambition At the same time 1t has given the Czar increased influence for. the Balkan peo- pIes are largely Slavs and first cousins to the Russians. Seeing that Austria was intent upon devouring them. they listened
 to the Czar's counsel. and sought hs as. sistance. The so-called Pan-Slav move
 ment obtained great impetus an,nnf
 them, all of which. of course. was to thu
 detriment of Austria-Hungary.
 I Bosnia Herzegovina
 On October 5. 1908. Austria H ungagy