As the Austrians almost invariably produce pale and anaemic imitations
of Berlin frightfulness and Machiavellism, we may expect a revelation daring the next fortnight or so of letters from the Vienna Foreign Secretary to the Presidents of Hayti and of San Domingo, or of the United States of Colombia, promising them Austrian money and Austrian support if they will only shake off the hated yoke of the United States of America and persuade, -let us say, Portugal or Montenegro or China or Peru to join with them in invading America in case of war. In such a ease Hayti might be promised Porto Rico, San Domingo the newly acquired Danish islands, plus freedom from their protective treaties, and Colombia-the Panama Canal ! All this sounds like an attempt to be funny, but in these days one would not be in the leastsurprised to hear that the-American Secret Service agents had already got such a Note in their possession. Of the Central Powers we may say with confidence " Whatever record leaps to light, they always will be shamed."
Previous page
