The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-07-30
THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1914.
WILL GREAT POWERS FIGHT?

The great question before the worl
today is, will the great powers fight
The Journal of Commerce summariz
the situation concisely, yet graph
as follows:
What makes a declaration Of
war upon Servia by the empire Of
Austria Hungary an event of the
greatest moment, not only to Eu-
rope but to the civilized world. is
the possibility that it will bring
what are called the great I'OW-
ers' into a raging conflict, as the
consequences of the asSasSinatiOns
Of the Grand Duke Ferdinand and
his wife at the capital Of Bosnia
E~xaSperating as that event was,
and likely as 1t is that it was the
result of a Servian plot, it was not
a thing for which the SerVian
government was responsible, and
it can hardly be regarded as more
than a preteXt for the humiliating
demand made upon it by Austria
and the swift determination Of the
latter to Wreak vengeance upon
the weaker nation because it re-
fuses to submit to humiliation.
Austria has lost no opportunity
for many years to extend it's sway
over the Slavic population in the
endeavor to stretch its borders in
the Balkan region to the Aegean
sea.
The assassination of the heir to
the Austrian throne, Swinging
from a SerVian hatred that was
not without long prOvocatiOn, pre-
scented an opportunity rather than
a Justification for the present
move in the line Of Austria's long
cherished ambition. SerVia alone
would be practically helpless to
resist or to defend herself against
the aggressive dual monarchy,
unless there should be a general
Slavic uprising which would in
clude some Of it's W oppressed
subjects. Would the other powers
stand by and see the Servian
kingdom destroyed and the whole
Balkan peninsula menaCed by the
least progressive of the mon
arches?
Russia could not be expected to
do so, and she is ready to array
herself on the side of Servia's de-
Tense and the preservation if not
the entire restoration of Slavic
autonomy; but Germany has
Gel tain ODllSdJ4OIlS do Oil dlly VI
Austria Hungary, and may be
come the terror of the powers in
such a situation. Italy is also of
the triple alliance, but would be
reluctant to be involved in a war
on the side of Austria. France, on
the other hand, is in friendly ALI
ance with Russia, with Great
Britain bound to her with a newly
established tie of cordial relations.
If Russia cannot endure to see
Austria crushing out Slavic
autonomy in the Balkans, can
France and Great Britain with
equanimity see Germany helping
her to do it, with such conse-
quences as it would entail?
There is no need to refer to the
tremendous calamity of such a
war as this suggests as possible,
in the destruction and waste Of
values, the worldwide disturbance
of commerce, the O~Verturning of
the carefully preserved balance Of
power in Europe, and the sowing
of dragons teeth for future trou-
ble-trouble which might prove in
the end more costly to Germany
than anybody else. 1t looks at the
moment as if the issues Of this
critical situation were in the
hands Of Germany. She may be
the arbiter Of war or reace for the
powers Of Europe. It is hardly
conceivable that she should take
the responsibility of allowing the
assassination of the Grand Duke
Ferdinand by a crazy Servian to
be made the pretext for forcing
such a destructive conflict as has
been COnjured up as a possibility
in the capitals of Europe.