Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1914-08-06
THE MAIN CAUSES
FOR THE PRESENT WAR
Some Explanations Given Why All
of Europe is Now Engaged in a
Brutal War.

Brutal War.
The sympathies of the entire civil
lied world should be with Servia in
the war which Ausaria is now waging
against her, It's like great big
mastiff jumping onto a little poodle,
and the Spectacle shows the folly of
| war. The German emperor dips in
and prevents mediation, thus show
ing his sympathies are with the mas
tiff. 1t is to be hoped that in case of
general war in Europe, as now
seems probable, Austria and her al
lies will get what's coming to them,
and that will be a-plenty. England,
France and Russia are bound to help
Servia in case of general war, while
Germany and Italy will line up with
Austria. American sympathies will
naturally and by right should be
with the Servian allies, because our
sympathies are always with the OPP
pressed, and the Austrians are op-
pressing little Servia. I'VE made a
mistake once and that was when
we gave our sympathies to Japan, in
the war with Russia. The latter had
always been our friend and had help
ed us out in some very tight situa-
an oppressor and japan was a small
nation. However, ever since that
war Japan has been walking around
with chip on her shoulder and try
ing to get the U. S. to knock ii off.
Maybe, though. they'll have a better
appreciation of the situation some
day. You know little Cuba, after
we'd spilled our blood and treasure
to free them from SPANS rule, fail
ed to grasp the situation for a num-
Der of years afterwards.
Hon. LATE Young. of the Des
Moines Capital, made visit to the
Balkan states during the recent war
with Turkey, and knows of the situa-
ton there, and in a thoughtful edi-
torial, under the heading Austria
Has Declared War on Servia," says
and it is worthy careful reading:
1T is brutal for Austria to declare
war against country like Servia.
Austria is really Austria-Hungary.
The countries are nominally united.
The emperor of Austria is king of
Hungary. The Danube divides Hun
gary from Servia.
Servia has a population of about
three and one-half millions. For Aus
tria to declare war on Servia is like
the United States declaring war on
New Jersey. Servia does not have
half the population of Pennsylvania.
She has no seaport. She is the only
one of the Balkan states not having
access to any sea. She is penned in
with Roumania on one side and Bull
garia on another and Macedonia on
still another.
"Seryia gained large population
and considerable territory as the re-
suit of the war waged by the Balkan
allies against Turkey. This new war
comes partly from the other war.
Every country which received terri
tory has had hard time assimilating
the new population thus acquired. In
all the Balkan states there are traces
of the Turkish rule, even though the
hand of Turkey has been withdrawn.
In several of the countries there are
many Mohammedians. This is espe-
cially true of Albania, which is near
ly one-half Mohammedan.
I'VE say 1t is brutal for Austria to
declare war against so small coun-
try.
There is brutality in other re-
spects.
Austria, first of all, bIames Servia
| for the assassination of the crown
prince and his wife. Our readers will
| remember that the assassination was
by two Servian students.
Austria considers that the Servian
students had been worked upon, or
induced, to commit the murder. They
blame the tragedy upon the secret So
cieties and secret influences working
in Servia against Austrian influence.
"Austria's demand upon Servia as
the outgrowth of the assassination
have been unreasonable. Austria de-
mands not only the punishment of
those directly or remotely connected
with the tragedy, but further de-
mands the privilege of sending Aus
trian officers into Seryia to hunt up
and convict men in their own way.
! Servia would not consent to this plan
knowing that Austria has all kinds of
revenges in mind and believing that
such course would result in the ex-
ecution of many innocent persons.
Think of what is involved in
granting a nation of spies the privi-
lege of entering your own country to
hunt up, arrest and convict and exc
cute any whom they might accuse.
THE civilized world will believe
that Austria has made demand
which might have been considered I'M
reasonable in China fifty years ago,
but which is certainly unreasonable
now anywhere else.
"Servia agreed to all of Austria s
demands excepting the one we refer
to.
Austria complains of the work of
secret societies in Servia while she
has maintained secret agents through
out Servia for fifty years. Servia has
been full of Austrian spies. Every
Servian knows this and this is one
cause of the assassination. Austria
determinedly assisted in preventing
Servia from acquiring a seaport in the
settlement of the last war; otherwise
Servia would have acquired Salonika
on the AEGEAN sea.
Austria does not give the real
cause for her declaration of war.
There are twenty millions of Slavs
in the Austrian empire and every
time anybody in Servia talks about
'Pan-Slavish empire Austria has
been in the habit of having a chill.
The coterie which rules Austria real
lLcu tue udHBeT lufOlNcu III tue pam
Slavish agitation. Just what these
twenty millions of Slavs will do in a
war declared by Austria against Ser
via (Which is made up of Slavs) re-
mains yet to be seen.
1T will be difficult for Russia COM
posed so largely of Slavs, to keep out
of this war, and IL Russia does take
hand she may fight better than she
did when engaged in the conflict with
Japan.
"The present situation has been
anticipated. No thoughtful reader
of current history has believed that
the Balkan situation was settled. II
has been evident that there would be
fresh outbreaks, but no one ever real
lied just how the trouble would COM
mence. But no one has ever been
able to predict the way and manner
of the beginning of war.
Poor Servia! Every home has a
widowed wife or bereayed mother
coming from the last war. There is
vacant chair at every Preside. They
have done nothing but bury their
sons and fathers during the past Is
months. They have lived on rutaba-
gas, turnips and other root products.
They have herded their goats and