The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-08-19
HAVE met BEFORE
ALLIANCE and ENTENTE. Oct
Have THREATENED VAR
PAST CLASHES Frequent

Story of the Political Intrigue of Eu-
ropean Nations Which Has Finally
Blotted the World With Devasta-
ton. How Austria Has Played
Her Diplomatic Cards Poorly.
I For the third time in the last five
Years the two great groups Of Euro
peon powers, the Triple Alliance and
the Triple Entente stand face to face
with the obvious possibility that war
may result from the clash Of rival
purposes. To-day Russia. France and
Great Britain are in one camp, Ger
many, Austria and Italy in the other,
and between the two lies the old
question of European balance Of
power.
In 1909, when Austria annexed
Bosnia, France, Great Britain and
Russia protested. The annexation
was in fact an express violation of
the agreemnt made in the great con-
gress of Berlin after the Russo Turk
ish War It not merely increased
the territory of member of the
Triple Alliance but it extinguished
the hope of little Slav state TO-
cially, politically, religiausly related
to Russia.
At the critical moment in 1909
Germany appeared Gin shining arm
orr, declared for Austrian purposes
and threw her sworn into the bal
ance. Russia and her allies were un-
ready for war and were compelled to
1 accept the crushing and humiliating
defeat-but the consequences Of the
defeat were manifold. From that
hour began Russian intriguing in the
Balkans to promote that unity which
was presently to destroy Turkey.
In 1911, when Germany sent her
warship to Agadir, the two groups
came into collision again. In 1909
Germany had threatened Russia; in
1911 she menaced France, demand
ing as the price Of recognition Of a
French protectorate in Morocco huge
territorial grants for herself. But
this time the Triple Entente was less
compliant. British fleets assembled,
| Russian armies were modified, and
finally Lloyd George made the mem
orable speech which amounted to
! warning to Germany that England
stood with France.
Then it was Germany's turn to
yield, as it had been Russia's in 1903.
Some territorial gain she did make
| in the swamps of the Ubanghi. but
Morocco became French, German
prestige was terribly shaken and the
passionate resentment of the Ger
man people has found expression
ever since in the press and in the
utterances of many of her public
men.
The defeat of the Triple Alliance
in Morocco was quickly followed by
disasters more serious. Italy went
to TripoN and in making war upon
| Turkey attacked a power regarded
in Germany as an ally, whose army,
German trained, was confidently eX-
pected to stand with the Triple AL
lance on the great day Of European
conflict.
Defeated by Italy. Turkey was next
compelled to face the alliance Of the
Balkan states, whose union was the
direct product of Russian diplomacy.
With the victories of Lule Burgas.
Kumanovo and Jenidje-Vardar. Turk
ish power in Europe collapsed and
the small Balkan states, increased
by great territorial gain. stood on
Austria's southern frontier barring
her road to the Aegean, and in the
case o. Servia threatening to play the
role on the Danube that SARDINIA had
played on the Pc and unite the
southern Slavs as Sardinia united
Italy.
To prevent this Austria resorted to
desperate tactics. Like Germany
she had expected Turkish victory,
and the Osmanh ruin found her un-
prepared. Toward Servia she adopt
ed bullying tactics. To break up the
Balkan alliance, which was in fact a
Russian creation and an adjunct of
the Triple Entente, she promoted the
discussion among the Balkan allies
which resulted in the second war.
But again Austria backed the
wrong horse. Notonly was Bulgaria
defeated and Servia still further in
creased in territory and prestige, but
Austrian support for Bulgaria had
aiienated Roumania, hitherto the
steadfast friend of the Triple AL
lance, and precisely as the Servians
began to dream of regaining Bosnia
and herzegovina Roumania cast en-
vious eyes on the millions OF Rou-
manians in Hungary.
Meantime, as the situation OF Aus
tria had been compromised abroad,
it was weakened at home. Half the
population of the Dual Monarchy is
Slav; but the ruling races are Ger
man and Magyar. Austrian bullying
of Servia provoked protest, riot, dis
order at home. In Bohemia, Croa-
tia, Gallicia, Slav populations pro-
tested in vain but found cause for
hope and enthusiasm in the triumph
Of the Serb.
Only one diplomatic triumph Aus
tria brought home in her campaign.
Servian aspirations for window on
the sea" were thwarted and the AL
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