Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-06

Great Britain such small part OF
the food she needs daily TO put upon
her tables that it could be called
nothing. With it and with nothing
more. her people would soon starve
to death. She is practically the
only country on earth so dependent.
She gets most Of her food through the
Mediterranean sea Austria and
Germany are fighting to control this.
her base of supplies. 1t is Eng
lands vulnerable point, the Achilles
heel OF her power. Her foes can
by striking her there give her the
wound of death
The Berlin Congress.
One must take a swift glance to
the Berlin congress of 1878 TO find the
foundation stone upon which is built
the structure OF diplomatic relations
in Europe today. That congress was
called because Russia had been vic
torious over the Turks for more than
a year and was preparing to enter
Constantinople and stay there. Eng
land was at that time the power
which forbade Russia taking this step.
II would so augment Russia's power
as 10 disturb the balance in Europe.
England was determined that it
should not be.
a British fleet entered the Oar
danelles and anchored in view of
Constantinople and in view of the
Russians. Negotiations were then
begun between England and Russia
and the congress of Berlin was the
result Its terms were signed July 13,
1878, and included:
1. The payment of a war indem-
nifty to Russia in return for which
Russia was TO leave Constantinople to
the Turks.
2. The occupation OF Bosnia and
Herzegovina by Austrian troops, put
there only to maintain order for Tur-
key, to whom these states belonged.
3. The recognition of Servia and
Montenegro as independent states.
The treaty of Berlin was broken by
Austria when in 1909 she seized Bos-
mia and Herzegovina from the feeble
hands of Turkey and made them her
own. It was broken by Germany
when the kaiser ratified his sword in
St. Petersburg and told the car that
Germany would stand by Austria in
this stealing of states.
VIII il now be broken by Russia
by the seizure OF the long coveted
Constantinople? VIII England be
driven by the desperation engendered
by her own perils at the Mediterran-
can TO the point of allowing Russia to
go now 10 Constantinople? This war
will answer both questions. in part,
certainly, perhaps in full.
A Bismarck Prophecy.
Bismarck, soon after he entered the
Prussian service of state, made an eX-
traordinary speech in parliament that
Prussia could never be great until she !
had had three wars, one with Den I
mark. one with Austria and one with |
France. Older heads told him he was |
talking nonsense. But as soon as he
came into power the wars began.
Denmark had no king, the success |
sion was disputed. Prussia offered her
candidate for the throne. Denmark
refused to accept him. Prussia went
to war under the pretext. Austria was |
told by Bismarck that IL she helped |
Prussia at this time. she should re-
ceive a part of the Danish province of
Schleswig-H olstein, which had belong |
ed to Prussia 200 years before. Aus |
tria helped to fight Prussia's battles !
on land and sea, but when the war |
was finished and Denmark, humbled 1
and conquered. had to give up Schles- /
g-Holstein, it all went to Prussia, no l
part OF it to Austria. The present en- !
press of Germany. William lis con- |
sort, sits beside her husband upon his |
throne because she was a princess OF !
81 Ia Al IDIg could holm n
make the people of that province con !
tented TO remain under Prussian rule. /
Francis Joseph, the aged emperor Of |
Austria, who is now presiding at the |
war councils in the direction of hostil- |
tiles against Servia and Russia-he |
cannot have forgotten how Germany, |
now hts ally, tricked him and Austria l
in that war against Denmark. In 1866 /
Francis Joseph declared war against |
Prussia to force from it the territory |
Austria had been promised. Bismarck /
had promised Francis Joseph before, |
now he tricked him again. II was Bis
business TO provoke Austria |
into this war against Prussia. BavaT
ia, Wurtemberg, Baden, Hesse. Saxony /
and Hanover, all states now of the Ger
man empire. fought for Austria. and
against Prussia in this war Italy
was Prussia's only ally. The war
lasted seven weeks. Prussia ended it
at the battle of Sadowa in Bohemia,
and ended at the same time, and for
ever, Austria's dominance among the
iermanic states. assuming that place
herself. And, after the third war of
prophecy. the war with
France. in 1870, Prussia became the
head OF the German empire.
Germany's Leadership.
Every child in the school room
Knows OF that Franco-Prussian war
n 1870, when the victorious troops or
he Germans entered Paris and pro-
claimed William ] German emperor
II Versailles, exacting as war in
Iemnity from France such an enor-