22 AUGUST 1914, Page 16

WAR WITH AUSTRIA.

[To THE EDITOR Or TEE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—In your article on " Italy's Position " in last week's Spectator you state that we have never before been at war with Austria. During the Seven Years' War we were making war on Austria's ally, France, and were financing Frederick the Great of Prussia, whose arms were mainly directed against Austria. I do not know that any British troops actually fought against Austrians, but I submit that, even so, there was certainly a virtual state of war between the two countries, though possibly there was no technical declaration.—I am,