AUSTRIA'S BALKAN GAINS-AMD FURTHER AIMS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 751, 25 February 1910, Page 5

AUSTRIA'S BALKAN GAINS-AMD FURTHER AIMS.

• To-day's cablegram shows that the subject of Baron Aeronthal's mission to Berlin' is, as was: anticipated.yesterday, the Triple. Alliance, now referred to as ; tbe "Austro-German Alliance," which is no doubt a . hint to Italy. ■ An interesting review of> the new position created by the Russo-Italian Entente was published yesterday. .The samo writer, observes:" ~. ."The crisis of last winter: brought, to liislit ovidenco that the settled ambition of Austria-Hungary is to exorcise commercial, if not political, sway throughout the Western Balkans, including Servia, Montenegro, and Albania; besides the western half of Macedonia. If economic supremacy could bo obtained without the risks and \ expense of political con.quest, it is possible that; political conquest'might be avoided. As long as the relations between Russia and Turkey, remain good, and as long as Bulgaria holds to Russia ratter' than to ' Anstrio-H'nn-gary, the danger of outside intervention in Macedonia may be considered comparatively small; but, ,-if close intimacy should again grow up between Bulgaria arid Austria-Hungary, , thero might ibe reason -to suspect the existence of an Austro-Bulgarian. agreement delimitat-: ing the respective Austro-Hungarian and , Bulgarian' spheres of influence in Macedonia. ■■' '...,;• -~',:.-'.:'■.■. .• ,;•'■ ' .: : '

: "Tor tho present, Anstria:HTingary is not in a condition Raily, to embark on adventures of any kind.' The internal situation in Hungary is thoroughly, unsettled. In Austria, parliamentary government is again breaking down, ■ andthough a system of. 'constitutional absolutism' is alwayß possible.Under- the Emergency Paragrapn of the' Fundamental; Law, tho system has the drawback of making no provision for fresh taxation or , for'the issue of loans to cover deficits. Anddeficits are heavy, both financially and. politically. The prudent character of the. Emperor Francis Joseph is nevertheless a guarantee that; plans to escape from a difficult internal situation by a policy of foreign adventure will encounter steady resistance. -' : . "There is, indeed, hardly a statojin Europe sufficiently free from. internal pre-occupations to bo ablo to contemplate witli equanimity the prospect of foreign trouble. Germany is confronted with a financial and political problem : of the first order. Tho chronic Imperial deficit, due principally to an extravagant naval programme, raises not only difficult fisiial issues, but affects also tho internal construction of the Empire and tho Übortics of ita component porta," ,