Page:The New Europe - Volume 3.djvu/108

 obstacles, and hence their attempt to save Austria. They will even be ready to sacrifice some territory to save essential Austria. has already shown what a reduced Austria means (“,” No. 21). The Austrian peace-offers consist of abandoning the Poles to Poland, the Trentino to Italy, and perhaps a part of Bukovina to Roumania; Vienna is even merciful to Serbia, which “can be restored”—on condition of a change in the Serbian dynasty—says Count Czernin. But these sacrifices, which are the price Austria is willing to pay for peace, are no sacrifices at all. Supposing Polish Galicia is ceded to Poland, what constitution will Poland have, and what dynasty? Austria and Germany will not establish a Republic, and in that they will be met by the powerful Polish aristocracy; that goes without saying; and a Poland with an Austrian or even a Bavarian king is nothing more than an autonomous province of Austria and Germany; the more so, if the Poles in Germany are to remain where they are.

The cession of Trentino is in the interest of Austria. Austria “loses” a recalcitrant province, whose strategical maintenance was a very heavy burden on her budget; but in giving it up she will be the more determined to keep Trieste, which is for Austria, and, therefore, for Germany, the sea-base for the Near East. There have been disclosures in Swiss papers, however, that Austria is willing to cede Italy more than the Trentino; even Trieste and Pola. Austria and Germany in extremis may agree even to that; for in that case the coast of Dalmatia would be the naval base of Austria; but in ceding Trieste, Austria and Germany will not promise not to re-take it when the next occasion offers! And what are the plans of Austria and Germany with Bulgaria and Turkey? There can be no separate peace with Austria without a separate peace with Turkey and Bulgaria; and any tendency towards the preservation of Turkey and the strengthening of Tsar Ferdinand’s Bulgaria is travailler pour le roi de Prusse. Even if at the same time it is reported that Tisza means to leave the Hungarian ministry, it would be very naïve to think that the Magyars changed their policy. Andrassy, Karolyi, or any other gentlemen of the Opposition, are no less Magyar then Tisza; and Magyarism is a principle which is above party in Hungary.