Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-10-10
War Clouds in the East.

War Clouds in the East
Side by side with assurances from the con-
ference Of Ambassadors that they will aim to
prevent q conflict comes evidence of prepare
tons in many quarters to provoke one In
| some respects the present situation recalls
that of ten years ago, when . diplomatic con-
sultation at Constantinople formed the pre-
luje to war. Now, too, Servia and Greece
are clamoring for slices of the Sultan's do
main, and threaten to make trouble unless
the conference satisfies them. King Milan is
credited even with declaring to his Chamber
of Deputies that if the Bulgarian union is
recognized Servia will fight for an extension
Of her territory.
! That Turkey understands her danger is
clear. Her troops are in echelon along the
1 frontier of Eastern Roumelia, ready to ad-
vance. At Adrianople they are kept con-
stantly alert, and near the town of Mustspha
| Pasha about three thousand men have been
concentrated. At that point the brief skirm-
ish Of some days ago was reported. Indeed,
| il was at first asserted that Bashi- BaZ0uks
has sacked and burned several Roumeiian
villages, and that an action had occurred in
which the Roumelians had lost over three
| hundred men; but this was evidently the ex-
aggeratlOn of reconnaissance. Troops
from Smyrna and from the various maritime
| Provinces of Asia have been hurried to the
Balkan Peninsula, and four iron-clads are
preparing tor sea. The revelations of malad-
ministration in the Turkish War Office, which
has left the ranks far below their supposed
strength and many soldiers lacking uniforms,
shoes, and equipments, and with great
short coming, too, of horses for the cavalry,
are no doubt serious. The malicious report
that the Sultan was demented, which followed
I -. ,a1 ka,v.
the sense Of his being furious over it. But
military activity has only been quickened by
disappointment Taking together the nizam,
or active army, and the redif, or reserve,
there should be an ultimate force of over
halt million men at Turkeys disposal, and
she has accumulated rifles enough in her ar
senals for all her infantry and krupp field
pieces for her artillery. Her last war with
Russia is not so distant as to leave her with
out many veterans still within the fighting
age. In short, she will not fear for the issue
against Servia or Graece, still less against
the Bulgaras-provided that no greater
power should interfere against her.
Bulgaria, it need hardly be said, is ready
for war. The Roumelians have an intrenched
camp at Hermanl to defend the route from
AdrianOple. In all the chief towns women
and others are forming Red Cross societies
for the care of wounded soldiers. The whole
able-bodied male population seems to be
under arms or preparing to aid somehow in
the expected war. The withdrawal of all the
Russian officers, even the surgeons. at the
command of the Car. who has refused to
grant the petition of the Bulgarian Parla-
ment tor their return, was, no doubt, hard
blow to the efficiency of the troops. but they
were not discouraged and, after all, it gave
opportunity for promotion. Some OF the
Russian officers, it is said, express the opin-
ion that the Bulgarians are no match for the
Turkish regulars, but English officers who
were present at the late manGuvres at
Shumala think well of them. Prince
Alexander, who lately told his troops that if
war must come he would always be found
in the thick of the battle" has soldierly
qualities, and is not without military exper-
fence, having served on the stall of Gen.
Gourkho in the last war. AS the whole
country has been pu. in a state of siege, and
commerce is for the time in chaos, even war
might be relief to the long doubt and sus-
pense
OF Ser,ia and Greece it would be less cor
rect 10 say that they are ready to fight than
that they are determined to do so unless APP
peased by an offering of Turkish territory
The former has suspended all traffic with
Ronmela, and lately sent to Bucharest to
secure Roumana's corporation with her in
attacking Bulgaria. Prince Alexander has
had to send troops to his west
ern frontier to keep off the
Servians. and so close are the hostile parties
that the late rumors of severe fighting may at
any moment be surpassed by the facts
Greece, also pledged to fight against Bulgari-
an union, after putting $4,000 men on her
frontier. besides her troops at Larissa and
Arta, has called out two classes of the naval
reserve and all the remainder of the army
reserve tor immediate service.
Such are the ominous signs in the Balkan
Peninsula. They do not by any means indi
cate that peace is impossible but they Ger
tanly do indicate that for n permanent and
satisfactory settlement, a more resolute and
more intrisically just solution of the Difficult
ty must be made by the powers than any that
has yet been publicly proposed N T.
Times