Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-09-13


more reasonable price. To these
grievances there came the nightmare of
the Zeppelin airship. London would
persist in dreaming of seeing one of
these huge airships over It and drop
ping bombs. Germany remained large
ly blind to this feeling OF enmity. His
torical traditions that Germany could
not entirely forget seemed to place
England rather among the list of
friends and when the echoes of this
feeling of hatred did cross the channel
Germany and its emperor made some
rather marked attempts to change this
feeling into friendship. The visits of
the emperor being among the well re-
membered instances in that direction
but it's efforts were absolutely in vain
In 1904. England made an alliance with
| France and Russia, commonly known
as the Triple Entente, the terms of
which have never become publicly
known. Thus there were three great
powers linked against Germany, each
with a distinct grievance. The Bal
kan states proved the spark that finally
set fire to this powder magazine. In
| 1908, Austria finally annexed Bosnia
and Herzegovina which, since the war
of Russia with Turkey mad been ad
ministered by her and fell to her lot as
Bessarabia had become a part of Rus
sia There was no objection to this
annexation on the part of these prov
inces themselves. but a very violent
objection was made by Servia. Act
ing unques tionably under the insti-
CATION of Russia, it's protest was loud
and vigorous. Bosnia and Herzegovina.
while using the Servian tongue, have
nothing else in common with Servia.
! OF a different religion. N a country
where religion counts for much, only
about two ifths of their population is
Slavic, and as a people, they hate
Servia most cordially. Servia COM
menced to agitate an all Serb propa
ganda and with it was particularly ac-
tive in Bosnia, while Russia was equal
| ~ busy with its Panslav agitation.
| Russia, however did not feel quite
equal to making this annexation a
cause of war Being weakened by her
conflict with Japan. she resolved to
wait for better opportunity The
Russian and Servian agitation went
merrily on and as time progressed. it
became more bitter and more violent.
The Servian agitation found its cul-
mination in the assassination of the
crown prince and the crown princess
of Austria People Of this country can
form some idea of the intense excite
ment caused by this cowardly murder
| if they call to memory the destruc-
ton of the Maine or the assassination
of President Lincoln. 1t was not hard
to foresee that war of Austria with
| O. 4
| improbable that Europe would allow
herself to get mixed up with this pure
ly local affair. The demand of Aus
tria upon Servia. to allow her to par
ticipate in the suppression of the anti
Austrian propaganda was refused.
Whether or not the demand of Austria
were altogether reasonable, may be a
question, but it cannot be successfully
denied that the Servian government
was directly responsible for the assas
sination and that in itself would seem
to be sufficient cause of war 1t is
understood that Servia offered to sub
mlt the difficulties to The Hague trib
unal, but in the nature of the things,
such a demand could nov be granted
It would simply have been suicidal to
the internal peace of Austria Hungary
to grant such a request. | doubt very
lmuch il America at the time of the de-
struction of the Maine with less provo
cation, would have consented TO sub
init that controversy to any peace
tribunal | say with less provocation
because the excitement In Austria more
nearly resembled the popular feeling
at the time of the assassination OF
President Lincoln. Russia requested
Germany to use its influence with
Austria 10 make certain concessions
to Servia and while Germany was en-
gagged In these negotiations, and had
succeeded in getting Austria's assent
to them, Germany learnec to her dis
may, that Russia was mobilzing hei
troops both against Austria and Ger
mary. Mobilization in this case, con-
sisted of massing troops together Will
arms and provisions. on the frontier
and is generally and reasonably re-
garded as a declaration of war. The
demand of Germany upon Russia te
lstop mobilization and the failure OF
Russia to reply except by her sending
troops across the German frontier are
too well known to need reiteration, as
is also Germanv's declaration that q
state of war existed between her and
Russia.
The warlike attitude of Russia may
seem somewhat strange to people un-
familiar with the internal affairs OF
that country. 1t must be understood
that the extent of the Pan Slavic prop
uganda is of such magnitude that il
may be properly designated as fanatic
ism. 1t has become a direct menace &c
the rest of Europe. Russia's court
circles consist very largely OF people
of German descent and while the names
of many of these have undergone the
same transformation that turned st
Petersburg into Petrograd the names
of many are unmistakedly German
even to the present day. The resent
ment of the great mass of the slavic