The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-08-03
(From Nashville Banner

(From Nashville Banner.)
There long has been apprehension
that small spark kindled by accident
in the Belkans might cause a great
flame in Eurcre. The assassination of
the Archduke Ferdinand and his wife
at Serejavo seems to have created the
spark. Austria has made it an excuse
for war on Servia which means that
she intends to add Servia to her en-
pire, and the attempt O. any European
power to seize Balkan territory neces-
sarily means war.
The Balkan states were for several
centuries part of the Turkish en-
pire and when the Ottoman power be-
gan TO decline the great powers cast
covetous eyes in that direction and
thereupon a very tense jealousy arose.
Each power has been ready to prevent
the seizure CT Balkan territory by the
other. This has been especially true
of Russia and Austria, to whose do
minions the Balkan states are con-
tiguous.
These states have always been very
near to Russia because their people
are mostly of the Slavic race, as are
those of Russia, and CT the same religi-
Gus faith, the Greek church, to which
the Russians adhere. Austria covets
Balkan territory for no other reason
except greed of empire.
When Russia conquered Turkey in
1S77-something the other powers were
at least bound to permit because CT
atrocities en- the Christian people I'M
der Ottoman rule-the conference
called at Berlin the following year pro-
yided for disposition Of the liberated
states. No European country was al
lowed to annex any Balkan territory,
but Austria was given the military
administration" of Bosnia and Here
govina, two small p,cvirces, properly
portion of Servia and contiguous to
Servian territory. and there the seed
of the present trouble were planted.
This arrangement continued until
1908, when Austria announced arbi-
trarily that she had annexed these
provinces. Servia violently protested
and threatened war. Russia Joined in
the protest epd Germany backed Aus
tria. Russia then acquiesced and
Servia was too weak to do anything
but submit.
During the recent war in the Bal
kahs when Servia, Montenegro, Bull
garia and Greece Joined against Tur-
key, Austria was all the time threaten
ing in her attitude toward Servia and
prevented Servia from ieaping the full
fruits Of her victory 1t was through
Austrian interference that the new
State of Albania was created out of
territory taken from Turkey instead
of being divided between Greece and
Servia as those states desired.
The recent incident of the assassi.
nation of the heir to the Austrian
throne at Serejavo, the capital of Bos-
mia, is familiar The Austrians claim
that it came of conspiracy Matched in
Servia and they made very drastic and
humiliating demands for investigation
and punishment of the alleged cul-
prits. They also demanded that what
was called "Pan-Cervia agitation"
sease. That is, that the Servians leave
off promoting the idea that all Servian
lands and people should be part of
the kingdom of Servia instead of leay-
ing some of them to Austria. Servia
was willing to comply with all the
Austrian demands except that which
Required that Austrians sit ON the pro.
posed commission to investigate the
alleged conspiracy to, murder the Arch.
tduke.
Austria. ON -Servia's refusal, declared
4 war. Russia is mobilizipg. to go to
Servia's defense and &c ermany fs pre-
pared to back Austria. e. +. M
Great Britain and France, it is prob:
\ able. may be drawn to the Russo
Servian side of the controversy, and
Italy, being a member Of the old Drei
1