Grand Forks daily herald and the evening times., 1914-08-01
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 1914.
WILL THE sLAvs UNITE AGAINST
THE TEUTON?

Chicago Herald: The danger to the
general European peace of the AFRO
CANT Austrian punitive expedition
against Servia-as it looks from this
side of the Atlantic-lies in the pos
sihility that the big Slavic state may
come to the aid OF the little n that
the dismembered Slavic peoples may
unite and rise against their German
and Magyar overlords.
The possible political combinations
are easy to grasp. II Russia moves
to the aid of Servia then Berlin will
march to the help of vienna-unless?
But that is a consideration which will
not be distressed upon just now. How
ever. there is an unless" to be men
toned later.
If Berlin marches to help Vienna
then France may feel bound to come
to Russia's aid. And If the German
fleets Cypress the French then England
may feel bound to send out her dread
thoughts. Then will be seen that
general European war" which to
wage with successor to make i'm
possible-Europe has become an
armed camp.
Behind all the alliances and the
"ententes'' Is the age-long conflict
between the Teuton and the Slav.
Whether the Slav pushed the Teuton
across the Rhine and the Danube and
so tumbled down the Roman empire
1-< ~ I'D 4r}oo1 ~acaarcherc SiorJlto FAR
tain it{is that for more than a thou
sand years the Teuton has been push
ing the ,Slav eastward and southwark.
For az long time the pushing was
successful, for the Teuton had learned
no VITO use the policy of divide and
rule" Even when a strong Slavic
state was sevolved the Generalization
proceeded. 1t began to be checked
through itsAstrong sense Of superiority
In civilization and it's zeal for popular
education.
1t is a curious fact that languages
may be lett die, but probably cannot
be directly ekilled save by downright
extirpation of their speakers. Also
that peoples come quickly to on
sciousnesss of speech-identity and ma
tionality" when efforts are openly
made to Ntake these little-regarded in
h%eritancee from them.
The heterogeneous Hapsburg en-
pire presents several cases of this
awakening kunder external pressure.
The Slovaks discovered they were
neither Czechs nor Germans-the
Ruthenians discovered they were not
Poles. but Russians-when there
came upon them the pressure Of
schools whose teaching vas not in
their peasant mother tongue.
Their languages were without lit
eratures. Under that pressure they
have begun to develop literature, and
with it racial consciousness and as
pirations to nationality. This awak-
ening of dormant languages and races
is what makes so difficult the govern
mental problem Of Vienna. Because
of it Germanization, which went down
the Danube 800 miles in a hundred
years, has been pushed back 200
miles in twenty years.
More than half the population Of
the Hapsburg empire is now on
sciously Slav and more or less dis
contented with its German and Mag
var overlords. In view of this fact
it is dihacult to say whether the ac-
ton Of Vienna is the courage of pow
er or the courage of despair. Vienna
may have felt that it was "now or
never"-that Great servia would
come unless Little servia could be
annihilated.
II the conflict can be localized"
the immediate outcome is not doubt
ful. Austria carries too many guns.
But If Russia intervene them the
peace of Europe depends on Berlin's
view Of the unless" already mention
ed. Berlin will march to the help of
.Vienna-unless?
Unless Berlin decides that an end
might as well be made now as later
81 the Hapsburg monarchy and can
bring Russia to agreement, for her
self and the other slavs, whether they
be willing o. unwilling, on a satisfac-
tory division of the spells.
Meanwhile the Cossack legiens are
moving on the Austrian frontier,
though not, it is said, on the German.
The German ana the Russian em-
Derors are Exchanging notes." and
Berlin is evidently pausing. That is
the situation at this writing. The age
long conflict Of Teuton and slav
seems entering on q new phase-per-
haps upon an armed truce out of
which may grow a definite delimita-
ton Of the theaters Of future action.