Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1918.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 November 1918, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1918.

THE GENESIS OB THE WAR. The exit of Austria from the war, brings to mind the fact that .round nhout- the fortunes of that. country centred the very genesis of the Great War. It was on June 28th, 1914, that the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, nephew and heir to the Emperor of Austria was together with his consort, the Duchess of Ilohenborg assassinated in the streets of Sarajevo, the capinl city of Bosnia. The murders sent a thrill throughout Europe. Amongst the many problems anticipated in the near future of the Dual Monarchy of Austro-Hungary, constituted of many diverse nationalities loosely knit together by the personalities of the then aged Emperor and his heir, that of Bosnia and Herzegovina had been acute. The two provinces are peopled in the main by races closely akin to the gallant- Serbians, and they always cherished the idea of union with Serbia. But the Berlin Treatv, of 1878 placed Bosnia under Austria-Hungary. Suddenly in 1908 Austria annexed the territory which hitherto had been only administered. Serbia reseated the action. and war was narrowly averted. The Balkan wars of 1912-13 enabled Serbia to expand and bitterness with Austria became more marked. The murders in Bosnia were looked upon as of Serbian origin, and the effort was made to attach complicity upon Serbia and her people. The tension was very great and a courtmartial of a secret character was held. The assassins implicated were proved to be Austrian subjects, but before the month was out, Austria sent a Note to Serbia asking the observance of humiliating, terms. Only two days were given for the reply and when received, the Serbian answer was rejected. All the diplomatists in Europe were now drawn into the embroglio. and every effort was made to avert war, but without avail, for with precipitate haste when the whole position was capable of adjustment, Austria on the 28tb July, 1914, declared war on Serbia. Russia sided with Serbia, and Germany with Austria, while France joined hands with Russia. On August Ist., Germany declared war on Russia and France and seized Luxemburg preparatory to entering Belgium. The latter appealed to Britain and on the 4th August Britain sent an ultimatum to Germany which took effect a few hours later when the Belgian neutrality was violated and so began the Great War. It has raged now for four years and almost one hundred days. Austria has long had her fill of the lighting. She was throughout clearly a dupe of Germany’s. From the revelations which have, been made. Austria was the tool to work Germany’s ambitions seeking world power. Germany knew her own military strength and by swift action hoped to gain a quick military decision. Thanks to Belgium, France, and Britain in the West, and Russia and Serbia in the east, the designs were frustrated, and to-day the world looks across Central Europe as a broken defeated territory. Austria, wished long ago to get out oT the fight. The hearts of her people were, never in it. The Austrians were •badly mauled by the Serbians who might have beaten the aggressor sin-gle-handed. if given a fair field. But the inter-relations of A ustro-Germany would nor permit, of any cessation, and Austria has had to hang on, till now she is a broken and discredited country, torn asunder, a revolution spreauing, and her monarch fled. Her plight is probably no hotter than she deserves for she may now have to pass through an ordeal worse than the war of her own creation before she can. hope to reach a haven of peace again. When that period arrives she will be a now nation and a new peoples.