The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-08-19

confronted withSerb and Roumanian
armies, whose fighting capacity was
proved, whose national aspirations
would be promoted by Austrian dis
ruption. Greece, too, excluded from
North Epirus by Italy, had been
driven to the Entente and possessed
a fleet and an army to be reckoned
with.
At home Austria faced growing
disorder. Her slav populations, their
racial pride and confidence reused by
Seryian and Bulgarian victories, no
longer endured with patience the per-
secutions of Germans and Hunga-
rians. Disloyalty was on the increase
on all sides, and Austria seemed
about to succeed Turkeyas '"The Sick
In this situation German newspa-
pers and public men began to de-
mand that the clash between the Tri-
pie Alliance and the Triple Entente
should be postponed longer. Time
plainly was with the enemy Aus
tria was growing weaker, Austro-
Italian rivalry in Albanian as well as
secular rivalry in Trieste and the
Trentino plainly promised future
quarrels which might destroy the
fighting value of the Triple Alliance
and leave Germany alone between
France and Russia.
1t is the German temper which
makes the present crisis serious. At
the time of the Bosnian clash no ma
ton in Europe desired war, and only
Germany was ready. At the moment
of the Moroccan dispute Germany
backed down because she found
France, England and Russia ready
and the possible gain incommensu-
rate with the possible loss a great
war might bring.
To-day a very considerable faction
of German official life believes that
only by war can Germany maintain
her pre-dominance in Europe and
that few years more of peace will
leave her far behind Russia in
strength, in resource and in allies.
To-day she can count on Austria and
probably Italy. Tomorrow Austria
may have fallen apart, but Russia,
England and France are not likely to
grow weaker.
The challenge Austria has issued
to Russia, then, is Germany's chal-
lenge 1t is also her own declara-
ton of a determination to fight for
her existence. Russia has enlisted
Servia and Roumanio on her south
ern boundary. Russia has promoted
Slav aspirations and disloyalty in
Austria. Now Russia must leave
Servia to her fate, abandon her
schemes to destroy Austria within
and without, she must publicly con-
fess she can not aid her weaker Slav
allies, or she must fight. Austria
prefers to be destroyed by war rath-
er than by the attrition of intrigue.
If France and Great Britain stand
with Russia her decision can not be
mistaken. If France and Russia are
agreed to resist the result will hardly
be different. But British statesmen
are unlikely to run the risk Of Ger
man victory which will leave Ger
many with her hands free to fight
for naval supremacy.
The worst phase Of the present
crisis is that neither Alliance nor En-
tente can low escape war without
tremendous loss of prestige The
challenge of Austria has been made
in such fashion that it leav0s Russia
no visible choice between war and
dishonor. German official utterance
gives the thing the value of an issue
between the Triple Alliance and the
Triple Entente.
1t is the combination Of all OF
these circumstances which makes the
present crisis seem the most serious
Europe has known since Bismarck
edited the fateful Ems dispatch asd
tbs Francp-Prnsaian war resulted.