| Show THE EUROPEAN SITUATION WK WE hope it is more because of a realization ol 01 the frightful loss of life property and stability which many of the european nations vituld undergo than any aay considerations of policy and present gain that is causing them to use every effort within their control to put off and if possible avert the struggle which now seems inevitable such a contest as now BOW looms up be yond the atlantic means a repetition in great number and on a larger scale of the struggle 0 of f the nations at leipsic with such a present combination as german and austria anone on one side and russia and france on the other the former taking in italy and the latter turkey a general european war such as aa the world has never seen would surely sorely be the result of the first hostile pun gun it would require sounder judgment and keener penetration than the be average student of public affairs possesses to tell exactly what the cause of the existing situation really is it seems to have grown up gradually acquiring head from day to day fear is understood to be the restraining influence with all nations that which prevents them from going to war for light and trivial causes not necessarily physical fear but that proper quality which should always temper the will an and d make nations as well as individuals hesitate before taking aggressive measures but there is to the general view no real cause for aay one nation of europe standing in such dire dread of any other as to cause the angel of peace to told its wings in readiness read ness for flight and ana yet that is exactly the sit lation abroad russia has endeavored to satisfactorily explain her purpose in marshaling troops within an hours march of the austrian border but the efforts have been signal fat failures lures wh when i en to these are added her persistent efforts to borrow such an amount of money as only nations which intend to fight require it is as plain as is the th e universal light of day that her ber real purpose is to be in position to deal the first powerful blow as soon as the tocsin of war is sounded austria realizes this and is preparing for it she will not be taken by ein any event and already has sufficient force near the frontier to at least check if 11 not resist an advance an assault upon austria is ot of course an assault upon germany as the alliance between them is of that entangling character designated as offensive and defensive and the latter nation is making full fall reparations preparations 1 too tooT bings Things are just in that ru inflammable fiam mable panicky condition that p perhaps e chaps the ar firing T ing of a cann cannon on even h hough 0 ugh it were a blank cartri cartridge dg near the line which separates galicia and silesia from russia might precipitate a conflict whose force and effect would make all europe tott totter erand and the rest of mankind took look on with bated breath and direful apprehensions think of the millions of lives and billions of treasure that might be squandered as the result of one rash act on the part of a single individual on either side of that fateful imaginary I 1 inel |
