The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1896-11-06
FLUTTER IN THE BALKANS
Little States That Base Great Hopes on
the Downfall of Turkey.

the Downfall of Turkey.
The differentiation of the august rul.
ers of Servia and Montenegro, which has
just been celebrated with becoming
pomp and circumstance at Belgrade, and
which included grand military dis.
play, will not result in any increase in
the Acknowledgements war budget. Sc
far as the dual monarchy is concerned,
it is infinitely preferable that the SOY.
dreigns of the minor Balkan states
should be at peace with one another.
The Serbo-Bulgarian war compelled
Austria to interfere. 1t was the inter
vention of the Austrian minister at
Belgrade that put an end to the hostil.
tiles. That experience was one which
it is desirable to renew as seldom al
possible. The aspirations referred to
in the toast proposed by the prince OF
Montenegro at the banquet given in his
honor must be considered as altogether
outside the domain of practical politics.
In the existing circumstances, Servian
unity cannot be anything but a vague
ideal of which no trace is to be found in
the intercourse either Servia or Monte
negro with the Acknowledgements gov
eminent. The hope of great future
for united Servia may be realized
in the course of centuries, but for tho
time being it is merely one of the many
dreams that haunt the imagination of
the Balkan peoples.
The prince of Montenegro is a much
older man than the king of Servia, and
It is only reasonable to suppose that he
has privately given his young Servian
cousin the full benefit of his mature
experience. It is conceivable that in his
public utterances Prince Nicholas
should have spoken in harmony with
popular feeling in Servia. His toast
would have fallen fiat If it had merely
contained counsels of patience and mod
Grafton such as he, no doubt, lavished in
private conversation with King Alexan-
der. In public he might have gone
good deal further than he actually did
without disturbing the equanimity of
the Austria-Hungarian foreign office.
1t is not at all likely that sober-minded
politician like the prince of Montenegro,
after long intercourse with Emperor
Francis Joseph, would play the part of
firebrand in Servia. Favorable results
are, on the contrary, to be expected
from his visit to Belgrade.
The manifold symptoms of restless
ness reported from the Balkan peninsula
admit of no doubt as to the impatience
of those who consider themselves the
legitimate heirs of the moribund Turk.
1t is difficult to persuade them that,
whatever may happen in the meanwhile,
the final distribution of Ottoman ter
ritory will take place in virtue of agree
ment among the great powers, even if
it is preceded by European war. Thu,
delusion is unfortunate, as it has led
some of them to make military prepare
lions far beyond their means, which
are bound to result in financial and
economical ruin.
There seems to be at present quite
fiutter in the various Balkan capitals |
in premature anticipation of the break
up of the Turkish empire. 1t would be
extremely interesting to consult the |
different maps which each of these lit
tie states has sketched out for itself |
containing the extension of territory
which they expect will accrue to them
when the day of settlement comes.
They refuse to believe that the status
quo is to be maintained. After vainly |
endeavoring to obtain promises of event
ual assistance from one or another of the |
great powers, it is said that they now
contemplate falling back upon some
sort of project for confederation. All |
such schemes must, however, be taken
for what they are worth, and that is
not much.-London Times.