The reconstruction of South-Eastern Europe

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF

onrush to the East, to stand or perish with German victory or defeat.

To Bismarck is attributed the cynical saying : ‘** Austria-Hungary is a cow to be grazed on the Balkan fields; when she has grazed enough she must be killed for the profit of Germany.” And Germany acted accordingly. The present war has proved beyond any doubt the truth of the words above quoted. Since 1866 Austria has lost complete freedom of action and has been allowed only such policy as directly or indirectly serves German plans or increases German power and influence. Austria-Hungary and her dynasty were always highly honoured and praised by Berlin and its satellites, but twice or thrice during the last fifty years they were unpleasantly warned and practically coerced by Berlin to abandon the path which might possibly injure German interests or open for them a way of escape from the German control, until at last the German victory and control over AustriaHungary was so complete, that Germany in a would-be Austrian cause was able to lead AustriaHungary submissively to bleed to exhaustion for the realisation of the German dream of world dominion. The Magyars would always have opposed as strongly as Germans the reconstruction of Austria-Hungary on the basis of democracy and federation, as it would entail the loss of their position and the abandonment of their cherished means of forcible magyarisation. The

16