The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-10-06

declares Germany greed for the con-
troll Of the of the Orient
was responsible, in his opinion, for
the world wal now in progress. Unlike
others who have taken the view that
International jealousy or the Kaiser's
coveting of the Belgian and Dutch
ports was at h bottom of the con-
flict, DR.. Spilrnan. regarded as one of
the best-infOrmed men in the South,
believes that the Balkans were des-
tined to pay the toll exacted by Will
liam's craving for expansion. DR..
Spilman says:
when Daniel Boone left North
Carolina and settled in what is now
the Blue Grass region OF Kentucky
he located at the place on the banks
of the Kentucky river now known as
Boonesboro. When American indie
p%endence was declared in July, 1916,
the news did not reach him and his
companions until far along in August.
Then they celebrated. In that same
village a retail grocer this past sum-
mer bought some sugar for which he
paid three n three-Quarter cents
per pound. A week later he placed
another Ordex for sugar and paid
eight cents per pound for it. What
was the trouble? War in Europe
said the wholesale man. America
today is in a financial upstir because
some men are fighting thousands of
miles away.
What is it all about? Four words
will give the answer: Race, religion,
conquest and commerce.. But to get
at the meaning Of it all we must re-
fresh our minds a little on the geo.
graphy and the history of Europe.
Topography of Europe.
Take a look at a map of Europe.
Russia occupies all northeastern Eu-
rope. Immediately to the southwest
of Russia lies Austria-Hungary and
the German Empire. South of Russia
the high seas from the Black Sea it
Is necessary to pass through the Oar
danelles, which is a strip Of water
about forty miles long and at places
less thai one mile wide and strongly
fortified on both sides by the Turks.
Southeast of Austria-Hungary lie
the Balkan States, six in number, il
Greece be included, viz: ROumania
Bulgaria, Servia, Montenegro, Alba.
MIA, and Greece.
ITO the west of the German En-
pire lies the little fiat land c%Ountrie.
of Belgium and the Netherlands
Denmark occupies the peninsula jut
ting up to the north and between tn
Baltic and the North Seas. Between
III North Sea and the Atlantic lii
the British Isles. France is separat
ed from the British Isles by the Eng
lish Channel and the Straits OF Dover
and is situated Immediately SOuthweS
of Germany.
Some European History.
With your eye on the map let III
get a few scraps of history. Follow
ing the conquest Of Europe by tn
Christian religion the Catholics di
vided into two wings, the Rom Il.
Catholic and the Greek Catholic. TIL
former had it's chief seat in Rome
while the latter had it's center in Con
stantinopie. Russia, Greece and tn
territory Of the Balkan states all wen
with the Greek church. n Siavs
of whom h Russians are n mos
numerous and powerful representa-
tives. occupy nearly all Of the Balka
territory. About the year 1850 tn
Turks, an Asiatic people, crossed tn
Dardanelles and soon Overran all c
the Balkans and went far into VIVA
Is now the Austria-Hungarian En-
pire. By the Intervention of the Ell
sropean powers Turkey was held l
fcheck and so did not overrun all Ell
rope. In 1890 Greece gained its III
dependence of Turkey, and this wa
guaranteed to it by England, Franz
Fan Russia The Balkan states thre
off the Turkish rule some years ag
Then commenced the movements
ihe European powers to gam cOntr.
VI the SITUATION III the bdihdAS
such a way as to give the create
possible advantage to the powers col
cerned- Which makes it necessary
pick up a few other threads OF nj
tory.
Austria Hungary is a dual mona
chy ruled by Francis Joseph, who
now in his eighty-fifth year and w
has been on the throne since Decer
Der. 1S4S. The empire is a loose
nnited affair composed of a conglor
crate mass of people of various la.
guages and religions and commerce
interests. Germany is the domlnatll
influence in Austria-Hungary.
AT the close of the Franco-Pru
sian a when the Prussian army n;
a regular walkover and took Paris
torty-five days from the day the nj
gun was fired in 1870, the var1o
state surrounding Prussia came I
gether n formed the German III
pre-. The present German Empire
little more than forty years old.
Growth of Germany.