Suchergebnisse

"For my part," exclaimed Mr. Asquith at the great Guildhall meeting in September, 1914, "I say that sooner than be a silent witness, which means in effect a willing accomplice of this tragic triumph of force over law and of brutality over freedom, I would see this country of ours blotted out of the page of history." In giving utterance to these remarkable words, the British Premier was thinking not only of the tragic fate of valiant little Belgium, but also of the life and death struggle for liberty and independence of another small state whose history and position are much less understood by Europe, or by the world in general—Servia. "Give a dog a bad name and hang him," runs the old adage, which applies with peculiar force to the attitude of public opinion in this instance toward the Servian kingdom. For years the press of Austria-Hungary, copied unthinkingly by that of Germany and other European countries, has been at work deliberately giving Servia a "bad name." Unfortunately there have been too many dark pages in Servian history—pages stained by violence, intrigue and crime—especially in political circles, not to give just cause for grave criticism. Yet it is manifestly unfair to pass a final judgment upon an intelligent and courageous people by looking only at one side of the shield.

The signing of the Franco-Spanish treaty concerning the Moroccan question on November 27th marks the last stage in the process of establishing a French protectorate in the Shereefian Empire. For years the European Powers have watched the steady decline of the "little Realm of the West," the continued loss of power and prestige by its sovereigns both in local and in national affairs, and the gradual disruption of the entire state. Ever since 1880, France, the nearest and most interested African neighbor, has been a keen observer of every move of the Sultans; and she has rendered the harassed and incapable rulers every assistance, diplomatic and otherwise, that these sovereigns would accept and the Powers permit. The French have seen from the first that nothing short of an European protectorate would suffice to save the Sultans, to ensure the establishment of an efficient administration, to afford ample security for life and property, and to give peace and prosperity to the long-suffering and oppressed people.