New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-15

plan Of Hberating the Southern Slavs,
who were 20 be assigned TO a new Jugo-
Slavic kingdom which would interpose be
tween Austria and the sea-if, indeed,
any Austria were TO remain. Meantime
the successful Russian invasion Of Galicia
led 10 a prompt assignment Of this prov
ince to the Russians, with little examina-
lion Of the desires Of the people, more
than half Of whom were Poles who, de-
string complete liberty, preferred Austrian
TO Russian domination.
The arrival Of Italy on the scene led
TO new amplifcations. Italy was to have
the Trentinc districts inhabited by Latins,
which she should have districts the title
TO which was offered by Austria if Italy
would remain neutral. She was in addi-
ton 10 have not merely Trieste, which IS
Italian by race and speech, but the lstrian
districts in which the Slavonic element
predominates. She was also TO have
Dalmatia, which is Latin only in its
monuments and almost wholly Serbian IN
It's population. In the same fashion,
when Rumania enlisted there was as
signed TO this state the Hungarian prov
inces in which there arc large Rumanian
clements, a clear majority in many dis
tricts.
Now, the effect Of all these plans was TO
doom Austria-Hungary. The Hapsburg
Empire was bound 10 disappear If these
purposes could be achieved. Unhappiy
for the Allies, the Slavs, who had fought
badly against the Russians, were ready
and willing to fight to the bitter end TO
prevent Italy from getting the Slav lands
Of the Adrlatin The Hungarians, who
had shown signs Of WEAKNESS frequently
curing the war, returned 70 the charge
with new determination when the Ruma-
nian invasion came. The Poles, who were
far from enthusiastic at the outset, were
willing 10 fight to stay Austrian rather
than become Russian. So Austria-Hun-
gary, which seemed doomed when the war
began, was bolstered up, at least tempo
rarily, by the Allied extension of policy.
In the matter Of Constantinople, Turkey
entered the war, driven by Turkish IN
trigue with the Germans, TO be sure, but
acting under the well-founded conviction
that an alliance between Russia and Brit
ain was certain to deprive Turkey Of Brit
ISL protection and ultimately to insure
Russian possession of Constantinople.
And when Turkey did enter the war Rus
sias allies promptly, not without justice,
tc it said, agreed that Russia should pos
scss the Straits, as the new Russian
Premier announced the other day.
German unity had been materially bene-
flied by the declaration Of Allied pur-
pose; it found even more support in the
British blockade and the purpose for
which the British press announced that
the blockade had been begun. We are
familiar with the horrors Of tn, invasion
Of Belgium, we are well informed as 70 the
German atrocities in Northern France.
They strike US as particularly barbarous,
because there is not the smallest warrant
in law or humanity, in the laws Of war,
for them. Conceivably the British block
ade conforms to the rules of war, but its
effect is TO starve the women and chill
dren Of Germany, and it is by the effect
that the German people judge 1t. They
saw it as an attempt to exterminate
German women and children, and they
rallied under the blow.
Now, examined in this light, it will be
seen that the war has taken on for the
Germans quite a different aspect than il
has for the Allies. To-day the German
people are not facing a choice between the
continuation Of war, with all its horrors
and sufferings, and the REIMBURSEMENT Of
their conquests in France, Russia, Bel
GUM and Serbia alone. They are facing
a declaration Of purpose by the Allies
repeatedly uttered in the Allied press, al
though not by Allied official statements,
that means the destruction Of the German
throne, the remodelling Of the German
system of government, the partition Of
German lands, both in the East and in the
West.
AS for Austria, she does not now have
TO consider the restoration Of a conquered
Serbia; che has 70 face the practical ex-
tinction Of Austrian unity by reason Of
the proposed partition Of her lands among
Russians, Rumanians, Serbians and Ital-
ians. If Allied purpose in the matter Of
Austria is to remain unmodifed, then Aus
tria and Hungary are bound to fight until
they are exhausted, because they have
nothing left but to choose between their
modes Of burisl.
Certainly there can be no peace in Eu-
rope until Germany and her allies have
agreed TO resign the territories which
they have conquered and hold, for If Ger
many Is 10 hold what she has conquered
then the balance Of power in Europe IS
gone. And the balance Of power is not an
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