io6
endlich ein ehr¬
licher Brite!
What has provoked the present
crisis? The intrigues of Russia with res
Servia. Russia, in her unfaltering
determination to gain free access to the
Mediterranean, has intrigued with Ru-
mania and, above all, with Servia and
Montenegro for the last 20 years, in
Order to stay the southward march of
the Austrian Empire. Bulgaria she now
regards as a negligible quantity; Ru-
mania, Servia, Montenegro and Albania
constitute the chain of vassal States she
would like to bring within her sphere of
influence as an effectual barrier to any
eastward advance of Teutonic authority.
With these brought under her financial
and diplomatic control, any German
plans of railway or colonial adventure in
Asia Minor and Mesopotamia would
wither like a limb separated from its
main arteries by a tight ligament.
Intervention of France.
Where does danger for Great Britain
lie in this Teutonic conßict with the
forces of Slavdom? In the intervention
of France. France, like every other
Power, ourselves included, is perfectly
selßsh in her policy. Her thoughts are
concentrated mainly on revenge for
1870-1 and the recovery of Alsace-Lor-
raine. That is the only reason she has
allied herseif with Russia. If she can
take Germany at a disadvantage she
may recover all or part of her lost
provinces. She is indifferent to the
other consequences of a German defeat
(and in all this talk about Austria-Hun- so habe ich es
gary, Germany is the Protagonist we all stets aufgefaß*
have in view), careless as to whether or
not it may mean a Russian advance
through Lapland to the North Sea and
an enfeeblement of Sweden, a Russian
annexation of Asia Minor, and an
advance to the Persian Gulf.
Supposing France gets the worst of
a struggle with Germany. It will mean
