Omaha daily bee., 1914-09-12
SUCCESS SERYIA'S CRIME"
A. B. Hart Tells Why Austria At
tackled the Little Kingdom.
sLAv UNION THE REAL CAUSE
Fear of = Power I'm the Balkans that
wOuId Take Away Bosnia nnd
Herzegovina started
War

Herzegovina started
War
The age-old conflict between the Slav
and the German has entered upon a new
phase, and no man can guess when the
conflict will come to an end.
Seldom in history has the specter Of
war so suddenly revealed itself to the
world. The hostile declaration OF Austria,
dated July %, was so totally unexpected
by the Servians that their renowned gem
eral Potnik the victorious leader OF
Servian armies in the wars OF 1912 and
1918. was actually in Vienna at that mo-
ment and was arrested while hurrying to ,
his own country-though subsequently re-
leased
To that document expressed in the
most arrogant and contemptuous lam !
guage, with an insulting demand for re-
ply within twenty-four hours by the clock, |
the Servian government, gssping with as
tcnishment, returned an answer which is /
proof that Servia was not thinking of Civ |
ing mortal offense to her powerful neigh
Dor There was not time even for an
understanding with the Slav patron-Rus-
sis Servia was neither prepared for war
nor desired war; and has gone as far as
placste furious enemy and at the same
time to preserve national self-respe It. The
Austrian demand that officers shall come
into servia and hold court-martial In their
own fashion on Servian citizens would de-
prive servie Of the right to call itself
nation.
Cause of IL All.
Nevertheless the answer gave a few
Europe, and especially for rousing the
Russian bear from his summer torpidity
The ostensible cause of 1t all is simple
enough and grim enough. 1t is the assas-
sination June 2s of the Archduke Franz
Ferdinand, heir to the imperial throne of
Austria-Hungary. The murderer was
Disseminated Bosnian of the Serb race.
The Austrian government believed. or
asserted. that he was the tool of a Ser
Wan conspiracy in which the Servian
government was partner. Hence it de-
manded practically the confession of the
Servian nation that it was responsible
for that murder. and then the punish
ment of those whom the .Austrians
might decide to be guilty.
Failing a complete and grovehng con-
sent by the Servians. the immense Aus
trian army is hurled at this little coun-
try. 1t is a fair question whether the
AuStrians believe their own charges, and
whether. II Franz Ferdinand We're today
alive and smiling, his government migs.t
not he finding some other reason for
crushing the rising power not only of
Servia, but of the Serb race as q whole
1t war breaks at. and if it extends 70
, all Europe. 1t viii not lie because Franz
ferdinand was killed by a Serb but be-
cause the Austr.ans fear that their en-
IRE will be killed by a Serb empire.
Success the Crime.
Anybody who knows the Balkan con-
e tons must believe that the crime of
sorvia in the eyes Of the Au5trlans, is
not assassina lion, but Success OC all the
oNaspcrating things that happened to Aus
L, Q from the outbreak OF war in Octo-
- o.. ISL. TO the partition OF the Balkans
among the seven Balkan powers in July,
l9!S the most cxasperatng was the ap-
h I,ual.ce OF a slr-ns ana victorious Ser
/. q.
Tho SERB race has been looked upon
as rather mild, not easy to arouse, con-
tent with snail things. Sorya in 1885
was completely thrdshed by the Bull
sariaus in five days. Miracle rcyond
belize, they stood in the second war day
for day, and regiment for regiment,
against the BulgarGns.
From every point OF view this was
hateful to Austria. 1t meant that the
door on the south was shut tiSht aud
guarded by an able bulldog. Much more,
IL meant what the Russo-Ja panese war Of
1905 meant to the empire of Japan-it en-
couraged all the men of the Slav race
wherever they are. They are scattered
through every European country east Of
Switzerland and Italy. The Russians are
Slavs; 80 are the Poles of Russia, Prus-
sia and Austria; the Wends of Prussia
the Bohemians, Moravians Slovaks. Ru-
thenians. Slovenes, Servians and Croa-
tians of Austria Hungary. The people
of the Slav race within the boundaries
of Austria-Hungary are about 24.0OoOc0,
including 100000 Ruthehans and 100000
Bosnians, which is one-half the popula-
ton Of the empire. and five times as
many as all the Slags in Servia.
Where the Wonder Lies.
After all the wonder &c not that Aus
tria is ready to strike, but that the ma
ton has waited so long. Last year it
was clear in various parts of Austria
Hungary that the calling out and main
tenance Of large force north and west
OF Servia was a terrible burden for the
country. 1t cost more than 500, 200. OOO
extra in cash; it stopped great industries;
II checked building; all those sacrifices
were made without getting a single
square mile of territory out of the
breakup of the Turkish power in the Bal
kans. On the contrary the effect OF the
war has been to loosen the hold of Aus
trta, on Bosnia and Herzegovina, which
have been tightly clasped ever since 1878
Most Of the 100000 Bosnians are Slavs
and 1t is intolerable in Austria that right
alongside them should be growing uE
the thriving little independent kingdom Of
Servia.-Albert Bushnell Hart. Professor
Of Government in Harvard ITnivarsitxy iy