PAGE OF SECRET HISTORY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 193, 4 January 1913, Page 5

PAGE OF SECRET HISTORY.

EUROPE IN CONVULSION". APPALLING CAT A STROPHE AVERTED. AN AMAZING STORY. London, Kuvember 15. Europe lias been on the verge of Armageddon. Appalling catastrophe has faced it for a week, and up to the time of writing ha s not vet been averted. The Servians, .-uflVriug somewhat from swelled hem!, have demanded a port on the Adriatic; Austria, fearful for her own future, put her big foot down. Russia rushed to the assistance of Servia, France to the assistance of Russia, and Britain to the assistance of France. Germany swung in behind Austria. Italy swung in bifliiml Germany. The dogs of war strained at the leash in every country in th» Old World. Diplomacy stepped in, and dip'ovmicy. which is synonymous with duplicity, is ,-triving with •might and in::in brat the .swords into ploughshares. An Englishman. a Welshman, and a Scotchman once paid a visit to Ireland. On their return they brought back with them mementoes of trip.. The Englishman had a tobacco-pouch with "God preserve Ireland" on it, the Welshman had a rung with "A present from Dublin" on it, but the Scotchman returned with n. knife and fork each with "London and North-western Railway" on it. Austria has been playing the part of the Scotchman. She had attempted to make territory out of the plucky adventure of the Balkan States. Servia. puffed by the victories of her allies, and claiming all the. glory for herself, has also been trying to feather 'her nest. And because of their aspirations Europe has almost been plunged into the bloodiest war of all history. HOW AUSTRIA GOT BUSY.

The cahle story has told of victories and defeats, of -beleaguered fortresses, of sorties, 'of super-human and heroic deeds, of a proud nation humiliated to the very dust, of the four small nations of t/he East, of the new alliance which may be the balance that will hold the scales between the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente; "but, as usual, it is what ■lias not been published that is the most interesting, the most significant and the most threatening. The moment that the first shot was fired Austria commenced a vast and comprehensive mobilisation of her forces. Russia, getting wind of what her neighbor was doing, entered upon an equally covert yet overgathering of her European army. Italy did not need to take any special steps. She was already on a war footing, thanks to the campaign in Tripoli. Germany, without any fuss, but with steely precision of fate, saw that the peace army was plaeed on a war basis, and privately summoned the whole of her reserves to place themselves in instant readiness to shoulder arms. France, who was just at the -termination of lie-r ai'tumn manoeuvres, strung a host of men along th« fortresses of her eastern frontier. Bel gium, cutting in like a wedge between Germany and Prance, prayed every ons of her sons to rally nound tlis flag. And Britain was not behindhand. ADMIRALTY'S ENERGY.

The Admiralty,/ever, since the German fright early in the year, -has been speeding up the placing of the British fleet on the highest pitch pf fighting efficiency, so that it might be equipped for defensive .atj a .moment's notice. The battle fleets have been re-acranged, strategy lias been . reorganised, tactics have been revolutionised. Although she despatched *a magnificent s-quadroa of battleships to Eastern countries, Britain had 'still a most formidable fighting fleet in the North Sea to protect herself, or, if need be, to imake descent upon the enemy. Xor were these precautions taken without every cause. Germany feverishly set her navy in line of battle trim. Hi'r gnat-like destroyer ijjeet were prepared for action in every naval port of the Fatherland, and a descent upon the British coast was not vain imagination. Britain also sent an urgent call to her destroyer flotillas, and within twenty-four hours over a hundred of ihe'se wasps of the sea were spread -along her south-east, coast. It only required the tiniest stumble on the part of diiiloniaey for the gauge of battle to be thrown down by the six Powers. And it was by no accident that the Mikado held a- naval review in which 200 %rships passed before his yacht- That demonstration was not meant spectacular purposes; it was a display of naval might which was intended' for the bellicose spirit of Europe. ~ ■:

THE; .SPY INDUSTRY. I cannot vouch for the story, but it was told me iti' good faith. A senior Admiral, dining-at his club in the West End, happened -to make a remark which indicated that .• steps were being taken by Britain to safeguard her shores. A German waiter ,of the most perfect type served the fifGlc. Next morning the German Foreign Office, with the audacity of its nation, enquired of the British Office, ''Why all this haste in commissioning your des'troyer licet?" London is riddled with German spies. For that matter, Germany is probably dotted with British spies. Neither side can make tho most miivute move without the other being promptly acquainted with it. DIPLOMATIC TOMFOOLERY.

Diplomacy still work" in manifold ways towards its ends. There is a punctilious etiquette associated with it which would startle the casual Australian. . An Ambassador could not breeze into a fellow- Ambassador, and, in a. common-sense way, say, "Look here. Brown, what's all (his nonsense about arming to tin 1 teeth?" Ambassadors have a method of procedure and a style of conducting negotiations solely their own. They have all manner of agents. The Neerei. Service Fund i s spent in the most, secret \kiv. Only thi.s morning Europe was startled with the disappearance of a German •barones.s. She was the, private secretary of a member of the German Foreign Office, who enjoyed the clos'> confidence of the Emperor. Frequently she was despatched on ticklish missions. She came to London. She was shown over the darkest quarters of the Fa-4 End by Mr. Le Quex. She returned to Paris. She has not been heard of since. What mission she was on and the success she <had is only known to the German Foreign Office. The true, inside history as it is practised to-day is the most thrilling of popular novels.

PRESS AGENTS. | The Press, too, is pressed into the service. In every e;i,pit.;il there are papers which arc recognised as the organs of I the Chancelleries. They are described .is semi-allic'iiil. Their function is to fly kites to see w.hicli way the wind is 'blowing. oi' to put up hi nils, or, as in the ease of the I'i'ikans, to create public opinion. I\v his masterly and vivid despatches Lieutenant Wagner, of the ■Reichpost, easily outstripped all other correspondents during the early stages of the war. His was the only authentic, expert, brilliant account. No big paper could afford to appear without it. So every in'luential journal in every big city m hurope bought (lie right to print Lieutenant Wagner's telegrams. Up to a point they were impeccable. Since then there is very reason to believe that they must, be suspect. Of the defeats inflicted ou the Turks there can he no doubt. Of the exact measure of these flcfeats there is dubiety. Oiice the tide

of battle Iml turned against the Turks, it was the pllicy. of the Allies to project themselves upon the .screen, that all Europe was watching, in heroic propor-' tion. Through Wagner this lias been done. The terms of peace will not be decided by the absolute merits of the conflict, but by the preconceived ideas which have been dropped into the receptive minds of the allies, and 'by Austria through the Reichpost. It is an amazing, extraordinary and enthralling story.