New-York tribune., 1918-01-13
I1avingCrushedRus-
sia, Germany Now
mstoSubjugate
l25,O00,O00
SlaVs
Rv FRANK H. SIMONDS
Author of The World War; "They Shall
Not Pass

80 far as Eastern Europe was concerned. f
The fact has borne out the forecast Ger
many has demanded of Russia the cession,
under the guise of an utterly false appli-
cation of the principle Of nationality of
the territory she has occupied during the /
war and. in addition, much of the Baltic
Provinces This would deprive the Rus
slams of all their Baltic seacoast and take
from them upward Of 10000 square miles
territory as large as Italy.
In the present article I desire to set
forth in some detail the underlying facts
in the German proposals, to which the
Austrians are bound to give assent, since
their own freedom Of action has been lost
to them Actually what Germany is en-
deayoring to accomplish is to deprive all
the Slav world Of economic freedom by
seizing its exits to the seas, and at the
same time to put under her own control
more than third of the Slavs of Europe
through her own, Austrian and Bulgarian
peace proposals.
To start at the beginning, there are in
Europe some 125,000,O00 Slavs and To-
100000 Germans. Not only do the Slavs
outnumber the Germans greatly, but they
occupy vastly larger territories, are more
prolific and are certain within a brief
number Of decades to become far stronger
in numbers; overwhelmingly superior, in
fact. Unless the German can prevent the
unifcation Of the Slav race or some sort
Of sympathetic association his position in
Europe is ultimately doomed, so far as
this position means the domination of the
Continent and the possession Of world
power.
The Divided Slavs
fortunately for the, German. the Slav ,
populations are rot Sconeentrated, but
widely separated. Nor .age there merely
geographical barriers between the various
clements Of Slavdom; religion and tradi-
ton also divide the Slavs Thus while
q2o00.00O Slavs in Russia. 4,OOO. 900 in
Germany and 100000 in Austrian Hun
gary are separated by no geographical or
nguirtic barriers, 100000 in Bohemia
are almost entirely surrounded by German
speaking populations and 100000
Southern Slavs are cut off from the main
mass of Hungarian and German speaking
districts of Austria In the same way,
while the mass of the Slavs are Orthodox
that is, belong to the Greek Church-the
Poles and the Croatians are Roman Cath
olc
As long as Germany was content to fol
low the Bis1narcian policy which aimed
at preserving the Germany created in the
last century, and not at setting forth upon
world adventure of power, there was
only one Slav problem for the German,
and this was supplied by his 100000
Poles in Eastern Prussia. In popula-
ton Of 68.000,000 all save few hundred
thousand German by race and speech, this
was not great problem, despite the diff
cuties and annoyances incident to the un-
dying desire of the Poles for the restora-
ton Of their old nation
But when Germany, long allied with
Austria, set out to push Austria south
ward to Constantinople-tha is, across
Inc Russian outlet to the open sea by the
bosporus and the Dardanellcs the prob
lem at once changed Of the 50,OO0,O0O
inhabitants of Austria Hungary not fewer
'nan 24,000,000 are Slavs, while the two
controlling elements, the Germans and
'ne Magyars, number but % 100000 COM
olned. The remaining 100000, Ruma-
mans and Italians, having centrifugal as
Prahons, are thus natural allies of the
Slavs not of the Magyars and Teutons,
~
minority in AUSTRIA Hungary.
Austria Hungary in Peril
Inns situation had been temporarily
aMclorated in Austria by the liberties be-
slowed by the Austrians upon the Poles
I'VE millions of Poles in Galicia were al
lowed to act within that province as mas
'erS both of themselves and of 4,000. 900
"u'hehlans, and their support to the Ger
man element in Austria enabled it to
"e'''ain control, always in danger, but
never overthrown.
since 1900, however. the situation in
austria has been steadily turning against
''e herman and the Magyar Every year
NE Slav population gained in numbers
p'0portlonatey, every year its demands
io' political liberty increased, every year
10 sympathies, natural, racial and relig-
N' svus' with the main mass of the
aaSs outside the Hapsburg empire
Increased. Finally the successful Serbian
'Smpaign in the two Balkan wars brought
"'out situation in which the future dom
:'"elon OF the German and Magyar minor
S'eS IN the Dual Monarchy seemed un-
N"ssakably doomed. Even the Poles were