The Washington socialist. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1914-1915, 1914-08-20
Why Europe Fights

why Europe rights
Continued from Page OueO
Servia would mean the supremacy of
Austria over the Balkan and the Aus
trian control of the Bosporus and the
Aegean sea. For this reason the cause
of Servia is the cause of Russia.
Austria's ally Germany, is also the
industrial and political ally of Turkey
against Russia. Germany's industrial
interests In Asia Minor, Mesopotamia
| and Persia have been growing stead
| lily, until they have overshadowed those
of Russia and England in that part of
the world Especially the Bagdad rail
way, from the Bosporus to the Gulf OF
! Persia midway through Asia Minor, is
overwhelmingly in the control of Ger
man bankers, who through IL hold the
whiphand over the Sultan of Turkey.
Both Russia and England are sore
over this condition, which strikes di-
rectly at their most vital interests in
| Asia Minor. Although Russia helped
to defeat the English interests in the
Bagdad deal, and although Russian in.
! terests conflict severely with British
! interests in Asia Minor, Persia, Turk.
estan, Afghanstan, East India, Thibet
and China, yet the control of the Bag.
dad railroad is so imperative for both
of them, that they have sunk their
other differences for the present in
the desire to strike Germany to the
ground.
How the Bagdad Railway Helped to
Bring on the Conflict.
England managed to get ahead of
Germany and Russia at the Persian
end of this railroad by concluding a
treaty with the Sultan of Koweit, on
the Persian gulf, which would be the
natural terminal of the Bagdad rail
way But even so, the control Of the
larger portion of this railroad by Ger
many breaks the most important stra-
tegic link between Egypt and East
India SO long as this link is out OF
British hands, neither Egypt nor the
British colonies in Africa are secure
against German and Turkish aggres-
sion.
France is deeply involved in the
fate of Russia by loans of millions of
francs. 1t is true that French bankers
have also invested money in German
enterprises even in the Bagdad rail-
way. But the Russian investments of
the French banks and bondholders
outclass all others among foreign pow
ers If Russia is defeated, it cannot
pay the interest on it's French obliga-
tions. In fact, even now French bank
ers are paying the interest on their
own investments and charging Russia
up with additional debts. But If Rus
STA can defeat Germany and Austria
and get control of the stragetic points
on the Balkans and in the northern
part of Asia Minor the French invest
ments will be comparatively safe. A
defeat of Russia now would be tanta-
mount to a complete loss of this
French money.
Why the French Support Russia.
Aside from this reason for the
French alliance with Russia, there is
still the old desire for revenge and
for a recapture of Alsace-Loraine, and
the French colonial interests in West
and Central Africa are also threat
ened by Germany, the same as the
British.
Germanys naval growth has also
been a cause for French and English
envy, and there are other, minor,
causes, that have led England, France
and Russia together against Germany
and Austria. If they can beat these
two allies, especially Germany, they
can remake the map of Europe and
stop the colonial advances Of Germany
all over the world
This is the cause and the issue of
the European war. All other claims,
especially that of honor and human
welfare, are mere DISCUSSES for this
naked conflict of business interests.
The Balkan conflict could have been
settled, and to that extent the cause
for international friction removed, by
democratic federation of all Balkan
states But this requires a Socialist
majority in those states. Such a ma
iority does not yet exist in any Eu-
ropean state, but it was rapidly APP
preaching at least in Germany. This
was an additional reason for the sud
den outbreak of this war. But the
specter of Socialism will be there
after the war; more threatening and
more powerful than ever.
.94.4..e.~.<.<:~..>*
I% JOHN F. JERREAD g