El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-08-18
ENGLAND FORCED
To ENTER WAR To
PRESERVE POWER
Could Not Afford to Let Ger
many Crush France and
Become More Strong.

London. Eng, Aug. 1s.-The balance
Of European power is the object OF the
stupendous war now rending all Eu-
rope. Not sympathy with Servia or
Austria. not fraternaI feeling for Slav
or TeuJon. not provisions Of the Triple
Alliance or the Triple Entente drew
the great powers into titanic death
grapple, but the threatened oVerturning
of the balance Of power
Why did England declare war against
Germany and send her troops to the
continent and her fleets into the
North sea and the Mediterranean 10
stand beside France and Russia against
Germany and Austria-Huugary That
is q question which the British public
and perhaps the people Of the United
States did not clearly understand IN
the heat Of the moment. wne1 the war
began
To Preserve Balance OF Power.
England did not hot headedly es-
pouse the cause Of little Servia nor cid
Great Britain bHndly follow the lead
Of France and Russia, her allies in the
Triple Entente. England did not al
low either her sympathies nor her dip
lomat1c obligations TO run away with
her. She declared war TO preserve the
balance o. power in Europe That is
the stake in this far reaching war that
may involve II million men OF five
great powers at a cost OF approximately
S54000,000 q day for g period Of time
that no man can estimate
The fuIl gravity Of the present Euro
pean slrua ton cannot be appreciated
unless il is clearly and definitely IN
derstood that IN this great iuterna-
tional conflagration, England could
not, in her own most vital interest, af-
ford TO stand out
It was not a matter Of sympathy, Of
PHILANTHROPY or OF international honor,
as some Of the talk in parliament
might have indicated at the time Eng
lands action was being discussed but
a matter Of self preservation
To Curb TeufOnie Power.
BY the balance Of power is meant
the control Of Europe The object Of
Great Britain's foreign policy is to keep
the great powers in equilibrium The
increased strength OF the Triple Ali
ance brought about by the enormous
military and vanal development Of Ger
many, forced the dual alliance Of
France and Russia In the same way
the rise of Germany led TO the conclu-
sion Of the entente cordiale between
England and France, which. on being
extended to Russia. resulted in the
present triple entente
The whole security Of the British
empire. economically. commercfalIv in
dustrially, as well as in naval and mill
Usry power, depends on the mainte-
nance Of the balance Of power.
By balance Of power is meant the
equal. or as nearly equal as possible.
distribution OF power among the six ]
great nations, such a distribution as
has prevailed since 1870 Should any
one nation become too powerful by the
absorption Of another state OF group
of small staes. it would cause an over
balance Of power and Europe's eQuili-
brium would be upset
Germany Scared. Too.
Thus il was that Germany. fearing
the long threatened Pan-Slavic union.
jumped into the conflict Germany
feared that Russia designed to unite all
the Slav countries Of the Balkans. Ser
via, Bulgaria, Roumania and Nontene-
gro into an empire, that. Joined with
Russia, would give the Slavouic people
an overwhelming advantage and upset
the balance.
In a like manner. Russia, England
and France feared that Australian
gary had designs on Servia and other
small Slav states Of southeastern Eu-
rope and might annex them If she were
victorious in the war. This would
have given Austria and Germany too
much Of the balance Of power and