Aut, EuroprE 1s Now INVOLVED IN A Wak that the 
civilized world must deplore. To assert a cause is not 
so difficult as it first appears. It is with all its intricacies 
and diplomacy but a recurrence of the age-long contests 
on the European checkerboard for the balance of power 
that for generations has been involved in that Eastern 
question. The apparent peace in Turkey in the years 
preceding the late conflicts has meant nothing. ‘To as- 
sert that the cause of the present struggle is the assasina- 
tion of the heir to the Austrian throne or the attack made 
by Austria upon Servia is to mistake an incident for the 
real cause of the war and to raise an incident to the plane 
of a casus belli. The attack on Fort Sumter was not the 
cause of the Civil War; it was the initial fight in the war. 
The question involved was the permanency “of the Ameri- 
can Republic. It is doubtless true that Servia’s sin is its 
success and that its ascendancy has been disturbing 
to Austria and probably to Russia. These conditions 
would be local only and confine the struggle to Austria and 
Servia. But the Servians are kinsmen of the Russians 
and Austria’s success despite her present insistence that 
her design is not to acquire new territory would mean 
that Russia’s assumed guardianship of the Balkan district 
would be at an end, their kinsmen vanquished and their 
own ambitions to obtain a foothold upon the Mediter- 
anean sea blocked by the successes of the Austrian arms 
against Servia, a result, of course, that would be evitable. 
Hence Russia’s hasty mobilization. For generations the 
ambitions of Russia have disturbed Germany and the 
Russian mobilization on its frontier forced the hand of 
the German Kaiser. What else could he have done! 
Such a move meant war and with a war on Germany 
must needs consider its ancient foe the French on the 
South. Consequently the Kaiser served an ultimatum to 
Russia to cease moblization and to France requesting a 
statement of her position in the impending war ‘The 
French nation has not forgotten Alsace and Lorraine and 
with scientific rivalry its army has been drilled and 
pipes for a possible conflict with Germany, Hence 
the German ultimatum to France and the resulting mobi- 
lization of the armies of both countries. That Great 
Britain could honorably fold her hands and permit the 
Germany navy to pass out of the North Sea into the 
English Channel to menace the unprotected French coast 
with all its commercial destruction is unthinkable. ‘And 
so in two short weeks from very simple beginnings all 
Europe is at war, and who can tell the outcome. 
No Frar Neep Be ENTERTAINED for the safety of 
American tourists abroad. There is an esprit»de corps 
in our countrymen abroad that will meet the exigency. 
In their perplexity our national government will do all 
within its power to obtain safe passage home. Much 
inconvenience will be experienced by the tourists, but 
their safety is unquestioned. 
Ir ts Sar THAT Ex-PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT will be in- 
vited to enter the campaign to elect a congressman in this 
district. He had better seek other grounds where his in- 
fluence is greater! 
THE OPENING OF THE Capgé Cop CANAL is another 
commercial triumph for New England. The credit should 
be unstintedly paid to August Belmont. Critics have been 
speaking about the current that runs from-Massachusetts 
Bay to Buzzards Bay through the Canal. _ If it-does, is 
such a current disastrous? ‘The real point is that cur- 
rents do run and the connections have been made be- 
tween the two bays. ‘The contructors of the canal may 
be depended upon to work out the small problem ak cur- 
rent presents. 
For THree GENERATIONS the Eastern States have 
sought the co-operation of the middle west and the south 
to pass national laws that would aid the development. of 
the United States merchant marine. ‘The south and west 
have been obdurate. But this European crisis ought to 
show the indifferent west that the establishment of a 
fleet of American-owned vessels will accrue as much to 
the west’s interests as to the east’s. Where are the ships 
now to carry the products of the west and south to 
Europe and Asia? 
Howrver Mucu THE Press may be tempted to 
malign Austria and blame Germany for the present crisis 
in Europe a second thought should be given the events 
of the day. The responsibility for the war will lay 
secondarily upon Germany, but the real cause of the strife 
is Russia’s insatiable greed. A way to the sea of Mar- 
mora and the Strait of Dardanelles and the Bosphorus 
will be the only accessions in Europe that will satisfy 
Russia. 
SucH A SuMMER Tuts Has Been! «The Salem 
catastrophe was quite enough for the North Shore and 
now comes the European difficulties. The interests on the 
North Shore are so closely allied with those of the con- 
tinent—with so many of the diplomats located here—that 
after the exigency arose the messages from the North 
Shore practically monopolized the cable service. 
Ir May Br True that the proportion of women | 
voters who actually voted on the school question in Bos- 
ton may be as large as the proportion of men voters who 
voted on the same question, but it is not true that as 
large a proportion of women are registered to vote on 
the school question as there are men registered to vote 
on the same question. 
In AVERTING THE IMPENDING RAILROAD STRIKE, in- 
volving fifty-five thousand men, and in influencing the 
managers of the road to arbitrate the labor difficulties 
President Wilson has accomplished a task for which he 
should be praised. 
Tur Crostnc of tHE Stock MaArKrE’s all over the 
world without a doubt saved the financial world a Black 
Friday such as has never been known to history. 
Now Rockport may be deprived of its war-ship, 
visitors again! 
