Leading Articles in the Reviews. 



38: 



COUNT AEHRENTHAL: A DEFENCE OF HIS POLICY. 



L\- the Deutiihe Revue for December there appeared 

 an anonymous article on the " Foreign PoHcy of 

 Austria-Hungary." which subjected to severe criticism 

 the policy of Count Aehrenthal, especially during the 

 recent international crises. In the JIarch number of the 

 same Revue, I-Vciherr von Jettel-Ettenach, who worked 

 with Count Aehrenthal for several years, publishes an 

 aticle in defence of the Minister's Foreign Policy. 



THE MOROCCAN CRISIS. 



Count Aehrenthal's policy, says this writer, was 

 always based on the maintenance of peace, but he was 

 not a friend of peace at any price. He was of opinion 

 that only a strong military Austria could be a guardian 

 of peace and a desirable ally. In the Franco-German 

 conflict over Morocco he was charged with wishing 

 Austria to withdraw from the Triple Alliance— that is, 

 the alliance with Germany, and so leaving Germany in 

 the lurch. It was said he did not stand by Germany 

 with sufficient cordiality. This charge has been proved 

 to he false. Austria-Hungary had no direct political 

 interests in Morocco, and was therefore only concerned 

 to protect her economic interests. Moreover, her 



o-operation in the negotiations was not desired by 

 Germany, and what could she have to do with the 

 colonial compensation which Germany required for 

 the recognition of the French Protectorate in Morocco ? 

 But had it not been possible to come to an understand- 

 ing in the matter, and had foreign influences driven 

 France to war, the place of Austria-Hungary would 

 most certainly ha\c been at the side of France. From 

 the beginning Count Aehrenthal was of opinion that 

 there should and would be no war over Morocco, and 

 had Austria-Hungary intervened in any way the 

 relations would probably have only been more strained 

 than they were. When the arrangements were com- 

 pleted Count Aehrenthal expressed himself satisfied that 

 ' question which had caused so much trouble for many 



ears had at last been peacefully solved, and that no 

 I hange in commercial principles had been necessary. 



ITALY .AND TRIPOLI. 



Then there is the case of Italy and Tripoli. Both for 

 Germany and .\ustria-Hungary it is an uncomfortable 

 iiuation, but it was known for years what were Italy's 

 intentions with regard to Tripoli. Intervention was 

 not permitted. What should, then, have been the 

 attitude of the two allies towards Italy after the war 

 had broken out ? To declare war against Italy ? .Ml 

 that Austria-Hungary could do she did do. So long as 

 Italy's demands were purely economic, and were justi- 

 fied in the interests of the Italian colony and its geo- 

 icraphica! position, the Cabinet at Vienna was anxious 

 to get the difTcrcrices which had arisen settled. But 

 .Vustria's advice failed to obtain a hearing in Constanti- 

 nople, and the war was begun. Austria's programme 

 then was neutrality, persistent efforts to find reasons 

 for the ending of the war, and endeavours to prevent 

 any disturbance of the peace in F.uropean Turkey. 

 All this was in complete agreement with the other 

 Great Powers. 



FUTURE OF THE TRIPLE ALLI.4NCE. 



Also there were the prophecies of false prophets 

 that the campaign in Tripoli was only the preparation 

 for more extended action, and that Austria-Hungary 

 was to be attacked by Italy. Count .\ehrenthal never- 

 theless continued his benevolent attitude towards 

 Italy. Austria, says the writer, has no intention of 

 retaliation at the expense of Italy ; all she desires is 

 the preservation of her empire. The prophecy of an 

 Austro-Italian conflict suggests the question whether 

 it is desirable or probable that Italy should remain 

 in the Triple Alliance. A Berlin paper has answered 

 the first question in the negative, but the opinion of 

 the Italian Press is in the affirmative. .\s to the annexa- 

 tion of the Bosnian Provinces, the time chosen for it 

 was not the free choice of Austria. It was forced upon 

 her by events in Turkey, especially the introduction 

 of the Constitution ; and Count Aehrenthal, it must 

 be acknowledged, succeeded in bringing about the 

 annexation without causing any bloodshed. 



Wh.\t the Count has Done for Austria. 

 Another study of Count Aehrenthal's policy appears 

 in the March number of the Konservative Monatsschrijt. 

 The writer, Hcrr Theodor von Sosnosky, says that 

 when Count .Vehrenthal assumed office in 1906 he was 

 inspired by the ambition to show the worlti that he 

 was not only a Minister like others before him, but a 

 statesman with a personality, who would not be 

 content to continue the policy of his predecessors, but 

 would make one of his own. The annexation of Bosnia 

 gave him one of his first opportunities to prove his 

 political independence. He has always shown the 

 utmost reserve towards Germany, maintaining thereby 

 the position of an equal, an endeavour which, perhaps, 

 might be taken amiss in Berlin, but which in Austria 

 was deserving of recognition. Such independence, such 

 effort to raise Austria-Hungary to the position of a 

 real Great Power, after decades in which his country 

 was only a Great Power in name, is a monument to 

 the policy of Count Aehrenthal, and assures him a 

 place of honour among the leading statesmen of the 

 monarchy. 



INTENSIVE IMPERIALISM. 

 In the United Empire for March Mr. J. Saxon Mills 

 writes on " Little England and the Empire." He 

 contrasts the splendour of the Delhi Durbar with 

 poverty-rc\'ealing inquests in London, and the 

 impoverished fourth of the population of the United 

 Kingdom. He says : — 



IVrlinps the best service which British Imperialists c.in rernler 

 for the next few years is to take the mother country in h.ind, to 

 make iier severally and separately a souncUr and happier 

 province of the Knipire, to ensure that she shall be a source of 

 strength and not in any degree of weakness to llie organism of 

 which she must continue to be the heart. The Imperialist, as 

 an Imperialist, is summoned to a big task of reform and recon- 

 struction in this, the central province of the Kmpire, if England 

 is to justify her position and meet those responsibilities of 

 administration and defence which for many years to come must 

 rest mainly on her shoulders. 



