The Forrest City times., 1914-08-07
EXPLANATION OF EUROPEAN CRISIS
 IS HARD TO FIND
Diplomats and Observers Unable to Understand the Attitude
 of Austria.
RECENTLY STRONG FOR PEACE
Count 6erchtold, Only Few Weeks Ago, Bitterly Criticized the War Party, and His Change of Front Has Not as Yet
 Been Explained.

Confusion worse confounded" is the one phrase that aptly charact erizes the war situation in Europe. The leading newspapers and the most experienced observers are unable to agree on any explanation of the crisis And the req son Is not far to seek
 Only a few weeks ago the foreign minister of Austria, Count Berchtold, was earnestly defending the pacific and moderate policy he had been pur- suing toward the Balkans and Russia
 BerchtoId for Peace,
 In speech to the delegates at Buda- pest he vigorously answered criticisms of spokesmen of the war party, parti- cularly of delegate who was sup posed to be expressing the sentiments of the then heir presumptive. the late Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Count Berchtold spoke of the aged emperor's sincere and resolute devotion to peace; he gave arguments of his own, more over, In support of policy of patience and peace.
 Fcareo LOSS or HTeStf9e.
 The frankness and directness of that speech impressed everybody except those who feared that Austria might be accused of timidity and weakness, might be misunderstood and in conse quence might lose political and mill tary prestige.
 There were some among these who thought. moreover, that Russia, whose recuperatfve power was wonderful whatever might be said Of its efficiency and actual strength when pitted against a more civilized and free pow confident, and was enjoying too much opportunity for rehabilitation and con solidation of its financial and military naval resources.
 These vaguely favored q bold and aggressive policy even at the risk of war, which had better come sooner than later. they held
 Sweden Takes Up Cry.
 But Count Bercntolds view pre- vailed for the moment and excellent observers concluded that Austria, at any rate, was not going to add to the troubles. complications. and dangers of Europe by tempting fortune.
 At that very moment Sweden was excitedly discussing the Russian peril" and demanding new measures of defense, while section of the Ger man press was pointing to the bear that walks like a man" as the foe to reckon with in the near future
 Yet the peace of Europe is broken not by Russia, not by Balkan power desirous of revising the settlement imposed by Roumania and the concert of Europe al the Bucharest conference. but by Austria, and seemingly under Count Berchtolds direction
 What has happened in the short in- terval? If peace was necessary and desirable to Austria-Hungary a few weeks ago, why Is war inevitable to- day?
 To understand the situation 1t is es- sential to distinguish between glitter ing generalties. fanciful aspirations. literature and rhetoric, on the one hand, and hard. grim, concrete facts on the other. IL Is essential to know what the conflict Is not It is not a war between Teuton and Slav. It is not a war between the Pan-German world party and the Pan-Slav world party. lt is nCt war for the preserva- ton of Hapsburg monarchy.
 Move Is Antl.Austrlan.
 The Pan-German movement Is anti Austrian and cannot fail 10 be so. The success of that movement would de. stroy Austria as political entity. The Pan-German extremists have had to be rebuked and repudiated by responsi- ble German statesmen As allies of Austria they could not countenance a movement which assumed and labored for the disruption and disappearance of Austria
 The Pan Slay movement fin Russia Is manifestly anu-Austrian, as we'll as anti-German It dreams of Slav rule from the Adriatic sea to the Pacific ocean" II dreams of Slav union or confederation under the gentle and benevolent sovereignty of Russia.
 czar's Interest in ServIa.
 Pan Sl@ism is, however. in a linn ited sense, unmistakably in evidence in the czar's profound interest in Servia and Montenegro The czars ministers have often blundered in the Balkans