THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 1918. THE MIDDLE-EUROPE PROBLEM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17215, 18 January 1918, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 1918. THE MIDDLE-EUROPE PROBLEM.

We have, in a previous article, discussed the menace to an enduring peace involved in tho survival of AustriaHungary under tho present political system as tho ally and vassal of Germany, doing so with particular reference to the views expressed by Dr Barry, of Birmingham, in an article in tho Nineteenth Century. Tho argument incisively urged by Dr Barry was that the breaking of the Dual Monarchy as tho keystone of the mighty pan-German arch across Europe is indispensable to such a collapse of tho aggressive ambitions of Germany as will alono restore liberty and offer the prospect of a lasting peace to Europe. Tho steady subservience of Austria-Hungary to Germany, illustrated at every turn since tho commencement of the war, may seem rather obvious to require any emphasis to-day. But it is Dr Barry's contention that the 'disappearance of " tho old and haughty nation, proud in arms," to leave room for a vassal most obedient to the word of command from Potsdam, involving an utter and complete transformation of a great European Power always in time past friendly to England, "has never yet made itself a palpable determining fact to our Foreign Office." There can, however, bo no real dispute as to the fact that the Austrian Empire is clamped together with hoops of German steel. Dr Barry seems to be apprehensive lest the Allies should be too much swayed by sentiment in their settlement with Austria, and his pen is particularly moved to combat any pleading that we should "detach" the Dual Empire from Kaiserdom by offering it a separate peace. "We cannot, I hope, have reached that degree of infatuation," ho observes, "at winch wo should guarantee the vast resources of AustriaHungary to von Hindenburg's us© under the deluding name of neutrality." It must be war with Austria, ho would above all things impress upon us with a logic that seems unimpeachable, until wo have swept away the dangers arising to our Empire from the colossal design of a Middle-Europe over which Germany has absolute sway. The menace associated with failure on the part of the Allies to thwart this ambitious scheme is vigorously sketched by Dr Barry in the following passage:

What is it that tho Allies aro facing forty months after tho breaking , up of tho old European system? A solid and impenetrable front stretching from near Ypres to within thirty-five miles of Bagdad. A block of nations and of empires continuous, self-contained , , under one supreme and unquestioned rule. The Kaiser's will is tho only will in this vast domain. Ho governs it absolutely, its resources aro all at his disposal. To the west, and hero and there on tho south, stand the Allies, conquering bit by bit. still not victorious. To tho oast tho once dreaded name of Russia, fallen ioto convulsions, is exploited by hired or hysterical traitors, who have brought it down to chaos for money or in obedience, to lunatic fancies. Russia has dropped out of tho game. And Germany, says' a bitter critic, has won upon the eastern front without striking a stroke. Bo it so! What is tho situation ensuing? It is manifestly this: That the solid block of Central Europe is committed to a lifn and death struggle- with tho west. In this battle Germany is our cnamv. Aus-tria-Hungary our renegade. The problem is exact enough to pleaao a master of mathematics.

Dγ Barry discerns in a strong Italy the solution of the southern problem, which is how to prevent a Germanised Middle-Europe from holding the Adriatic and reigning over tlhe Balkans. In Italy ho discerns the interpreter of Western Europe to the Near East. If, as Bismarck said, Trieste furnishes a peril to the German sword, it must bo broken off, and to Italy must be assigned the Adriatic. As regards the northern solution of the problem involved in the task of bridling Germany by breaking Austria, Dr Barry emphasises the need that the Allies should keep in tho forefront of their programme tho re-creation of a great and independent Polish State, with Dantzig for its port. How many of us have seriously believed, ho asks, that the restoration of Poland and the destruction of German militarism are- synonymous terms? If it bo asked why a restored Poland should bo synonymous with the defeat final and irreparable of Prussian militarism, the answer is found in tho map and tho catalogue of enslaved nations or tribes in Central and near Eastern Europe. In these the Allies would find their counterpoise to the seventy millions of tho Kaiser's realm and some twenty millions of Aus-tro-Germans and Magyars. To quqte Dr Barry again: "A Slav confederation waits to be called into existence, its constituents prepared from of old. Beginning at tho Baltic, reaching down into Austria, distinct in character and genius from Russia, wo light upon tho Western Slavs, tho Polos, Bohemians, Moravians, Slovaks, with Lithuanians in tho rear,, all friendly to tho creation of a series of States, each self-governed, but united against aggression." PvOgarding the claims of Bohemia to release by tho Allies from her martyrdom Dr Barry is eloquent. It was Bismarck who said, " Ho that holds Bohemia, is master of Europe." Dr Barry adds: "Such a mountain-land in tho centre of tho continent, were it free and confederate with its kinsfolk to tho oast, would bo like a wedge thrust into tho heart of pan-Germanism; it would split that entire system across, and thereby end tho peril now threatening our Indian Empire." To leave AustriaHungary still paramount under federal conditions is apparently the lino of least resistance, always favoured by diplomacy, but it is Dr Barry's uncompro-

mising verdict, based on arguments that swm only too convincing, that it would make the Kaisor lord of Europe. What have been tho announced intentions of the Allies bearing on tho frustration of Germany's designs in Middle Europo, designs illustrated in her recent negotiations with Russia? They havo declared for the creation of an inilepondent Poland, with froo neoess to tlio sea, and for tho opportunity of autonomous development for the peoples of Austria-Hungary. In his recent important utterance Mr Lloyd George said : "Though wo agreo with President Wilson that to break up Austria-Hungary is no part of our war aims, wo feol that unless genuine, truly democratic self-government is granted to these Anstro-Hungarian nationalities, who have long desired it, it is imposaible to remove the causes of unrest in that part of Europe which has so long threatened the general peace." Mr Lloyd Georgo has inado it sufficiently clear that the Allies will contemplate no settlement with Austria that will leave her unbroken as an effective instrument of German militarism.