The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-08-08
BALKANS CAUSE TROUBLE
Between Russia and Austria Says
Baron Korff.

Williamstown, Mass, Aug. Sal
most always it was the Balkans which
caused trouble between Russia aec
Austria in the last century,, Baron
Sorgius A. korlf, former governor gen.
eral of Finland, explained this morn.
ing in his lecture before the Institute
of Politics at Williams college. The
subject of his address was Russian
Austrian relations, which he said fell
into three periods, from 1878 to 1897,
when distinct tension was generally
evident; from 1897 to 1908, time OF
relative friendship, and from 1908 to
1914, period during which relations
grew steadily worse until break be-
| came inevitable.
In the course of his lecture, which
carried him to the Threshold of the
world war, Baron Korff declared that
the more recent strained relations be-
tween the two countries was due large.
ly to Count D'Aehrenthal, former min
lister of foreign affairs in Austria, who
from the start had two political OBJ
jects in view as his future policy: tie
establishment of Austrian supremacy
in Serbia and the ousting of Russian
influence. D'Aehrenthal was very
clever and astute and had what not
many Austrian statesmen had possess
ed before him tirmness of character
and clear vision of what was going on
in the other capitals of Europe, es-
peeially in Russia. One must say that
old Austria had educated wonder
full school of diplomats and bureau
Gratis who administered that checkered
empire as well as it was possible. |
This is perhaps the only merit of this |
defunct state, which was really an |
abstraction, not nation. There was |
not even national culture TO back the |
government"
Discussing the Balkan wars OF 1912. /
1918 and their effect Oh world politics,
the speaker said:
These wars changed the whole as
peet of the Near East policies of Rus
sian government and her relations with
Austria. The first war and especially
the alliance of the Balkan people.
greatly alarmed Vienna, for they were
exactly contrary to her interests How.
ever, she soon saw that the alliance
would not last and that Russia had
not the influence in it that she had
At first suspected. The quarrels be-
tween the Balkan allies filled Vienna
with joy. As a noted French writer
said The hatred of the Balkan peoples
helped Vienna TO definitely break up
he Balkan block
This meant the arrangement of
Russia from Bulgaria and the farther
Russia got away from Bulgaria the
,asier did it become for Vierna and
Berlin to spread their own propa-
yanda among the Bulgarian people. ,
The consequence of this began to tell
It once after the great wa broke /;
nut and led Bulgaria to take sides with ]
Heuton allies The liquidation OF the
balkan wars was assisted by the unit i,
d action of Russia and Austria, but !
his gave the latter an important i
rump and helped to establisL some
I her influence in the Balkans-the /
lace where serious tragedy was !
eveloping, the great conflict o. SIay.
SIN VS.. Teutonism.
Russia could not afFerl the VIC =
Dry of the latter and vet Germanv's
irang mach osten' seemed at times ID
npossible to fight or TO stop. II was
eveloping so rapidly and so clevcrly t,
nd receiving from Berlin tremen. Il
Gus impetus. Great Britain was also I,
Iarmed and so much so thai she for
ot her century-old feud with Russia c
'ncerning Constantinople and was 81
illing to back Russis's claims I the g
Itent Of establishing an entente with
ussia" :,