The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-10-06
DIR. B. ". SPILMAN ON CAUSE
OF EUROPEAN WAR IN BALKANS
Trade Route to Asia, a Story Centuries DID,, Brings Eu.
Wins and Balkan States Must Paw Toll. = o"e

SASlAC. L n n q haCt l
Scnooi system in the world, with the
&c urliieo army, with her com
nieIce ever expanding, Germany was
ues.lned one day to be a very for
hiiuapl rival Of Great Britain.
The Two Alliances.
IN 1879 the Triple Alliance was |
oiiieu py Germany, Austria-Hun-
gary ana Italy. Thus were the three
great powers in the very center of
EUROPE bound together to assist each
oller IN case Of war with any other
na.ion. II was a formidable array of
1orce' n made the other nations of
europe SIT up and take notice. Ger
n nanS cohtlnued to assert herself in all
Oh the commercial and warlike move
inents OF the world. 1t became alarm
ing. Inc result was that Great Brit
am. Russia n France, in self-de-
renee, formed a ompact as against
the Triple Alliance. And thus have
these six powers stood for wears. each
watching the others.
h Balkan Situation.
We will go to the Balkans again.
At the close of the last war there with
turkey, the states Immediately fell
out with each other, and civil wal
seemed almost certain among them
serves. This was the pulling Of the
strlngs OF Russia and Austria-Hun-
gary, the n against the other. The
city Of S%alonica was the chief bone Of
contention. This city is the best sea-
port on the Aegean Sea- For wears
n Turks had granted free access to
II by the railway from. Berlin, via
VIENNA This route, and the way by
ConstantinOple, were the trade routes
Tor Germany and Austria-Hungary to
n from the markets of Asia. The
railway lines this way into Asia were
all owned by Germany. The line Of
railway passes through Servia. The
Russian and the Servian people are
the same IN race n in religion. Sa-
lonlca is just south of Servia. In the
division of the territory following the
Balkan war Servia wanted Salenica,
but in the final adjustment Of affairs
Thu city went to Greece. This placed
two national frontiers between Aus
tria-Hungary and the sea. Since Rus
STA and Greece and Servia were Of
1.-The same people in religion and much
the same in race, and closely allied
with each other in a commercial way
1T gave to Russia the free passage
through the Aegean Sea, except fol
Turkey, whose power had been sc
crippled that she was not longer 8
power in European affairs. A part OF
Servia in the a gone by was Bos-
MIA, lying on h Adriatic Sea, and tt
the southwest Of Austria Hungary
Italy owned the territory around the
northern end Of the Adriatic Sea, sc
, that Austria was completely inland
Years ago Austria-Hungary seized thu
strip of and being a part of Italy. L
is spoken of to this day as n
: deemed Italy" The Italians have no
forgotten. Then in the mix-up of tn
Balkan war Austria walked in an(
took charge Of Bosnia. These seiz
!, ures gave an outlet through the Adri
! attic Sea: and Austria-Hungary sat il
"watchful waiting" for an opportu
| nitV RI Saiyo SATXHQ and en- mako no
e way to the sea in that direction.
t Match to the Powder.
'Then came the match which blew
t up all Europe and very seriously dis
: turbed conditions in the rest of tn
civilized world. A half crazy Servia1
e student shot Francis Ferdinand,
e nephew to the Emperor of Austria, Il
Bosnia. Immediately Austria-Hun
t gary demanded satisfaction from Ser
via. The demand was Of such a ma
! ture as that it meant practically tn
N surrender Of the national independ
ence of Servia. The Servians denie
/ responsibility for h act of the Graz
S student. Belgrade, the capital of Sci
e via. is on the south bank of the Saw
river, which river is the boundar
}. line between Servia and Hungary. Tn
II Austrians commenced to mobiliz
u their troops on the north side Of tn
n Save river opposite Belgrade. Tn
st | SorVlanS knew tndl III lICdAl W."
l. They prepared to fight. Then 1t wa
O that Russia took a hand. The Rus
s. sian troops were hurried to the Aus
trian frontier. Germany came out {
r. hiding and sent an lat to Rus
is STA to cease mobilization or war Woul
10 be declared. Or in plain English, tf
a. Germans said to Russia, You kee
ly hands off and allow Austria to seil
n Servia and open up the trade rou'
n for the German Empire to the ma
al lets Of the East, or we will fight II
lg it, Russia kept moving her trool
and declared war. In TT
s. meantime, knowing that france v;
,d an ally of Russia and would probao
in come to her aid, Germany sent q
ST ultimatum to France to declare ne
trality or war would be declared {
France. France would not desert n
n allv and Germany declared war al
10 without waiting for the sun TO s
started her soldiers toward Far
they had not arrived at last repor'