The Washington times., 1914-07-26
EUROPE AT ITS CRISIS.

Austria viewed Will SloNS
the rise of Servia, through its sue
cesses in the two Balkan wars, to a
position that inevitably appealed 70
The imaginations of all Slavs, ana
kespecialIy to those who were ampl-
t,6us for the union of the elements
r at had made up the old SerVlan
state. The new Servia has more
area, population. power, anc ap-
peal. 1t demanded an outlook on !ne
Mediterranean, which was denied to
i, chiefly because of Austrian oppo-
si+;on. at the close Of the recent
wars. Austria's ambition is to be a
great Mediterranean power; yet II
has Only few miles of frontage Oh
the Adriatic and two ports. 1t mas
no desire to admit rival to that
window on the world.
Moreover, Austria could not but see
j. the Servian outreaching for an
4 ariatic port, the possibility of Russia
outAanking Austria; for Servia Is
the cousin to Russia, as nationahtles
are related, and in effect her ally.
Russia, repeatedly cut off from ac-
cess to the Mediterranean at Con-
.tantinople, might have cut across
the northern part of the Balkan pen
insula, through its intimacy with
Servia and established its Medlter-
ranear base at an entirely new point,
On the Adriatic.
So Servia was robbed Of the fruits
f victory over Turkey, much as
Iapan was compelled to give up Port
4 thur after its defeat of China In
894, and just as the plundering OF
rapan at that earlier day led direct
" to the Russo-Japanese war, so
ne denial Of Servia's ambition may
ow lead to another war.
There can be little doubt that the
aders of affairs in Austria have
cen pleased enough to find a salts
'actory excuse for threat against
Servia. The excuse came with the
ssassination of Grand Duke Ferdl-
| and. To what extent that affair
as the result Of a plot in Belgrade
.7av never be known. There is a
.ood deal of circumstantial evidence
hich points to the completely Of
en- high in Servian affairs.
4 few years ago Great Britain
vould have been unalterably opposed
the Russian pretensions as a
riend of Servia; for Britain would
nave been terrorized at the posi-
ility of Russia getting anything
Ike a foothold, through Servia, on
he Adriatic. 1t would have made
P 2ussia a Mediterranean power, and
nenaced Suez and the road to India.
But things are changed now. Rus
ia's navy was destroyed by Japan.
'apan, as the ally of Britain, stands
cady with army and navy to pro-
ect British control of India against
ny aggression, whether it be Ger
nan or Russian. So India ceases to
e the nightmare of England, and
he rise of Germany to naval power
I'D to primacy among the powers Of
he whole Continent, is the great
roncern of Britain. It need not be
remarkable, then, if in case of the
Balkan confagration breaking out,
England, now closely bound to
rance and Russia, shall become a
ar more important figure than it
has been supposed.
Russian craftsmanship might well
consider that foreign war, es-
pecially a popular war such as
would be one in behalf of Servia and
pan-Slavism, was the easiest course
for the Cars government. Some
thing very like revolution is even
now in progress in Russia; the out
side world has but a vague appre-
nension of Russian conditions, where
strikes, riots, and the general propa-
ganda of unrest are the order of the
day. Government and people would
suddenly be drawn into sympathy
and unity of purpose, by war for
Liberation of Servia.
On the theory that the unexpected
always happens, 1t may be possible
again to localize the present con-
fict TO Austria and Servia. Five
years ago it would have been writ
ten down as utter folly to assume
that the Balkan allies could fight
one successful war against Turkey
and then fight another war among