Servia's Position

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 206, 8 February 1915, Page 5

Servia's Position

WHY AUSTRIA MADE WAR. SERVIAN DEVELOPMENT INTOLERABLE. AN INTERESTING MANIFESTO, j/' ' Received 7, 5.5 p.m. New York, February 6. M. Pashitch, in response to the request of the American Press, has issued a statement. He says: "Despite the fact that an Austro-German army of four hundred thousand is massing on our northern frontier for the third invasion in a brief six months, I am happy to inform the American people Of the Servians' true position in this terrible struggle, which was forced upon her. She is fighting for political, moral, industrial, and commercial liberty. At the conclusion of the second Balkan war Servia was freed from the: Ottoman yoke, after five centuries of Turkish domination and constant warfare. If ever a country needed a desired peace it was Servia. Then Austria realised that Servian development must be checked, because that development meant ultimately a strong and independent nation, which would be an insurmountable bar- ' rier to the Austrian dreams of Balkan dominion. Austria declared war with the sole object of ending for ever our independent national existence. Austria was convinced that Russia was unprepared, and that Germany, anyway, was strong enough to defeat Russia. If other ntions offer to help us we will accept gratefully, but we do not ask anyone. If the Austro-Germans crush Servia, they will not stop there but will junction with the Turks and constitute a new menace. Austrian atrocities havo no precedent in present or past wars, and indicate a retur n of barbarism, the result pf Teutonic domination. I feel that we are entitled to the sympathy and moral support of all' fair-minded nations."