Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1914-08-17
BY BURTON L. FRAZIER
staff Correspondent Of the Interna
tionaI News Service.

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LONDON, August 1.-THE balance
of European power is the object of
the stupendous war now rending all
Europe. Not sympathy with Seryia
or Austria, not fraternal feeling for
Slav or Teuton, not provisions of the
Triple Alliance or the Triple Entente
drew the great powers into titanic
death grapple, but the threatened
overturning of the balance of power.
Why did England declare war
against Germany and send her troops
to the continent and her fleets into
the North sea and the Mediterranean
to stand beside France and Russia
against Germany and Austria-Hun-
gary? That is a question which the
British public and perhaps the people
of the United States did not clearly
understand in the heat of the mo
ment, when the war began.
Contrary to public opinion, England
did not hot-headedly espouse the
cause of little Servia nor did Great
Britain blindly follow the lead of
France and Russia, her allies in the
Triple Entente. England did not al
low either her sympathies nor her
diplomatic obligations to run away
with her. She declared war to pre-
serve the balance of power in Europe.
That is the stake in this most far
reaching war that may involve seven
teen million men of five great powers
at cost of approximately S54,000,000
a day for a period of time that no
man, can estimate
The full gravity of the present Eu-
ropean situation cannot be appreci-
ated unless it is clearly and definitely
understood that in this great inter
national confiagration. England could
not. in her ewn most vital interest.
afford to stand out.
1t was not a matter of sympathy, OF
philanthropy or Of International hon
or. as some OF the talk in parliament
might have Indicated at the time
Englands action was being discussed
but a matter Of seIf-preservation.
By the balance Of power is meant
the control Of Europe The object Of
Great Brirain's foreign policy is to
keep the great powers in equilibrium.
The increased strength OF the Triple
Alliance. brought about by the enor-
nous military and naval development
of Germany. forced the Dual Alliance
oi France and Russia In the same
way the rise OF Germany led to the
conclusion of the Entente Cordiale be
tween England and France, which, on
being extended to Russia, resulted in
the present Triple Entente.
The whole security of the British
empires economically. commercially
industrially, as well as in naval and
military power. depends on the main
tenance of the balance of power.
4 BY balance of power is meant the
equal, or as nearly equal as possible
distribution of power among the stl
great nations, such distribution a:
has prevailed since 1870. Should an,
one nation become too powerful, b!
the absorption of another state O
group of small states, it would caus,
an overbalance of power and Europe
equilibrium would be upset
Thus it was that Germany, fearing
the long-threatened Pan-Slavic union
jumped into the conflict German,
feared that Russia designed to unit,
all the Slav countries of the Balkans
Servia, Bulgaria, Roumania and Mon
tenegro into an empire that joinet
with Russia, would give the Slavoni
people an Overwhelming advantag,
and upset the balance.
In like manner, Russia, England
and France feared that Austria-Hun
gary had designs on Servia and othe
small Slav states of southeastern Eu
rope and might annex them if sh,
were victorious in the war. Thi
would have given Austria and Ger
many too much of the balance o
power that would have upset tn
equilibrium in the other direction
That was why, in the last effort t
} avert q general war Austria Hunpar-
offered to guarantee the sovereign,
of Servia and to agree that she woul
not attempt to take any Servian tel
ritory.
Great Britain cannot ieopardlze he
maritime supremacy, safeguarding
her communication with her over
seas dominions, Canada, Australia
India and Africa, by running the ris
of any one power or group Of power
obtaining ascendancy on the cont