Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1914-08-04
THE CASE OF AUsTRIA.HuNeARY.
GARY.

It will be long before the inside
history OF this latest crisis can be
written. Many and complicated forces
went to bring about Austria ungarys
abrupt step TO force a war. or prime
importance, but naturally shrouded in
secrecy, is the part played by Germa-
ny. Austria could hardly take a step
that might drag her ally into war
without sanction and some will sus-
pect Germany OF being the prime
mover, arguing that she would rather
appear to be forced into war to de-
fend her ally than to take the lead
In forcing war with Russia. But
whichever country is responsible for
the initiative, professionally the time
was shrewdly chosen and a pretext
found which would serve sufficiently
we'll for a casus belli.
That Austria is not wholly without
a case may be seen by considering
the part played by the Maine in caus-
ing our Spanish war. The justifica-
ton, of sort, urged for that war was
that dangerous and intollerable condi-
tons were maintained in Cuba near
our shores, and the sinking of the
Maine was taken as kind Of demon
stration, concrete instance. 1t would
be closer parallel TO suppose Texas
filled with rebellious Mexicans anxious
to secede to Mexico, and a President
of the United States assassinated by
Texan affiliated with band of con-
spirators at the Mexican capital. I'm
der such conditions we may be sure
that this country would be as hot for
war as Austria and that the demands
made upon Mexico for apology and
amendment would be quite as severe
as those now imposed upon Servia.
The analogy shows that there are,
as usually is true, two sides to the
case. To Servia the Austrian empire
stands as II did to italy half a centu-
ry ago, for conquest and harsh OPP
preston. To Austria the existence OF
Servia as an Independent state means
the maintenance of an intolerable nui.
sance at her very doors and within
them. In Servia are but 100000
Serbs; Austria-Hungary has 100000
to govern, and how is government pos
sible with sedition fostered across the
border in Belgrade, and Belgrade back
ed by ST. Petersburg in tampering with
Austrian subjects? American senti-
ment is generally hostile to Austria
as a traditional reactionary country,
yet In similar circumstances II is like.
ly that America would reach in the
same way and seize a chance to
''clean up" nuisance which had pass
ed endurance. If Austria Hungary has
the right to exist at all, she has the
right to protect herself from dissolu-
ton, and the ethics of suca s situa-
ton as this can not be judged apart
from the role of the dual monarchy
in history and its value to civiliza-
ton.
Nor can we stop here, because Aus
tria may fairly argue that whatever
hardships and disabilities are suffered
by her southern Slav subjects are due
to the agitation stirred up by nation
alists outside her border and abetted
by Russia, and that if Servia we're alb
sorbed into the empire it would be
possible for the 100000 Serbs to
create third kingdom with home rule
parallel to Austria and Hungary. To
this scheme the assasinated heir had |
definitely committed himself and 1t
was the direct cause of his murder,
because it made him the protagonist
of expansion into Serb territory; he