New-York tribune., 1896-07-24
SOvE BlLKAN COMPLICATIONS.

The project OF a Balkan Federation Is re-
vived The time seems oppOrtrne. Ihe bour-
bon Ferdinand of COburg has, by crawling
through mud and blood, got himself recognized
MS Legitimate Prince Of Bulgaria. Young Alex
andc, Mllanovltch Is firmly seated on the Ser
Wan swineherd's throne, and may presently
find n consOrt to share 1t with him; perhaps n
daughter of Nicholas of Montenegro. The last
named monarch Is the thlrd-Or, more proper
". the flrst-person Of the proposed trinity, and
the most active He Is the especial protege OF
Russia-"our one true friend" said the late
Cznr-under whose august protection Bulgaria
and Seryia have practically placed themselves
and with whose consent, advice and encourage
ment the Federation Is to be fOrmed-if at all
Turkey. of course, still has some shadowy
suzeranty over Bulgaria, but 1t Is scarcely as
tangible as that of Russia over Turkey. More
over. the Porte has Its hands too full elsewhere
to raise even n little finger against the Balkan
Triple League. Macedonia, the "lumber-ro0m
of Europe" Is smoulderlng and threatening to
burst into flame, and a fire In n lumberro0m Is
uncOmmony awkward to deal with. The
Druscs are raising all sorts Of mischief In the
Hauran. The Yemen Is still insurgent. Not all
the Armenians have yet been ravlshed and
butchered And Crete Is on the verge OF the
Prophet only knows what In such circnm-
stances count the Porte as much out of the
Balkan question as the Hon. Abner Jones was
ont OF the archaeological senncc upon the Stan
islaus.
The outward and visible signs OF this inward
and more or less spirited movement for fed
Grafton are numerous and convincing. Nicholas
of Montenegro with his three chief Ministers
went TO Belgrade to visit young Alexander the
other day: on the very anniversary-the o0th
-by deliberate design-Of the battle Of Black
bIrl Heath. which ended the old Servian En-
plrc. For thrty-slx years Nicholas has occu-
pied the Black Mountain throne Most of that
time Ccttinje and Belgrade have been at Ell
nifty because of the claims to the Servlan throne
nut forward first by NichOns's son-in-law, then
by Nicholas himself, and finally by NlchOlas's
son. If reconciliation there were to be, surely
etiquette required Alexander to go first to Get
TIME But no. The senior sovereign valves
convcntonality and goes first to visit the Junior
Now. in return. Alexander goes TO Cettinje, on
the very 20Oth anniversary of the Petrovitch
dynasty. doing and a date also significant
Finally Prince Ferdinand will do some visit
ing. and the others will go to Sofia, and then
W, shall see what we shall see. Prince To-
with discretion and secretion and back OF him
looms the pOrtentous figure Of the Great White
Car.
The troublesome feature OF the case is. how
ever that the really important Balkan
Power is outside, and Is sure TO remain outside
the combination In either peace or war Ru-
mania counts for more than all the others put
together from the Danube TO the Adriatic. She
has an effective army, equal in quality to any
in the world. She Is building navy that Will
make her formidable Black Sea Power. Her
capital Is the most strongly fortified city in
Europe She is prosperous and progressive.
And she not only dislikes and dstrusts Russia,
but is actually in close relationship with the
TRIBE Alliance-has been called the fourth
member Of it, and does not deny the impeach-
ment She stands n seadfast barrier between
Russia and the minor Balkan States; perhaps
not impossible. but to be passed only in strug-
gle which would shake every capital on the Con-
tinent II. rs is now half indicated, Greece
shall form an alliance with Rumania and cease
her coquetry with Russia the Great Bears
progress TO Stamboul, for all the Balkan Triple
League Of vassals, will be far less delightful
than Tartar dreams have pictured It,