6o8 The Review of Reviews. 



one in the Balkans would permit any the economic bases of the comity of 



Great Power to obtain commercial and nations. Austria has cried aloud on the 



economic privileges other than those housetops against Servia, but has not 



which existed between great European given any real reasons as to why Servia 



countries and were regulated by inter- should not go to the Adriatic through a 



national agreements on a basis of 30-mile wide strip of territory conquered 



equality." Nothing in the past gives from Turkey, or why Austria should 



Austria the right to demand exceptional be entitled to demand special economic 



economic rights from Servia. Both advantages at the point of the bayonet 



Austria and Servia produce foodstuffs — without grave injustice to Europe and 



of which the former is an importer. It Servia. And economic injustice in the 



might, therefore, seem more probable Balkan States, and especially in Servia, 



that Servia should ask economic advan- to the advantage of Austria must mean 



tages from Austria than vice versa. It greater prospective loss to Great Britain 



would establish a dangerous precedent than to any other nation, 



in economic history were Austria to The Balkan peoples, 



declare to all other industrial nations Moral British whilst refusing any 



that she considers that she has a prior Preference. economic advantage to 



right to sell her goods in Servia. Surely, any country, have 



therefore, Austria is not pursuing purely already deep-seated in them a moral 



selfish economic motives and risking bias'' in favour of British goods.- 



war in Europe in order that the fac- Shall we stand with Servia for the open 



tories of the Dual Monarchy may be door, equal opportunity and justice, 



able to undersell those of Great Britain knowing that it will be to our advantage, 



or France in the Balkans ? In England or acquiesce in what seems to be a 



we talk much of German, American, or reactionary and criminal attempt to 



Japanese trade competition, and regard violate the freedom of a small people 



it as a serious menace. Apparently, and a great international principle ? If 



however, we are not shocked or aston- the former, let us urge on Austria the 



.ishf^H„ w-hen Austria, without any ex- need for a clear statement of her policy 



plained reason, demands that Servia' s — which policy has already brought her 



desire for equal trade conditions with into a state of war. M. Pachitch has 



all nations shall be regarded as a sign announced Servia's policy ; let Austria 



of contumacy, and met by threats of reply with a similar declaration. Wars 



war. And yet to-day Austria finds it more frequently arise from uncertainty 



necessary to mobilise her armies, to than even the most apparently irrecon- 



guard all the railway bridges and cul- cilable facts and known policies. We 



verts hundreds of miles from her cannot believe that Austria fears lest 



frontiers, to disperse pohtical meetings Servia should attack her ; it is not 



with bullets and sabres, all in order to credible that after such definite repudia- 



force Servia to become her " tied house." tion of territorial desires the march to 



Servia has declared unmistakably for Salonica is to be resumed. But if not 



the open door and a trade outlet ; in these impossible arguments for mobili- 



other words, she is in harmony with sation and endangering the peace of 



