Daily public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1892-191?, 1896-09-05
FLurrgR IN rHE pALkANs.
Little States That Base Great Hopes on
the Downfall of Turkey.

Little States That Base Great Hopes on
the Downfall of Turkey.
The differentiation of tho august rul.
ers of Servia and Montenegro, which has
just been celebrated with becoming
,omp and circumstance at Belgrade, and
which included a grand military dis
play, will not result in any increase in
the Austria-Hungar1an war budget. So
far as the dual monarchy is concerned,
1t is infinitely preferable that the SOY
ereigns 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-
ties, That experience was one which
II is desirable to renew as seldom as
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 vague
ideal of which no trace is TO be found in
the intercourse of either Servia or Monte
negro with the Austria-Hungarian gov
eminent. The hope of a great future
for a united Servia may be realized
in the course of centuries, but for the
| 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
Il is only reasonable to suppose that he
has privately given his young Scrvian
cousin the full benefit of his mature
experience. It is conceivable that in his
should have spoken in harmony with
popular feeling in Servia. His toast
would have fallen fat if il had merely
contained counsels of patience and mod
Grafton such as he. no doubt, lavished in
private conversation with King Alexan-
der. In pTblc he might nave gone a
good deal further than he actually did
without disturbing the equanimity of
the Austr,a-Hungarian foreign office.
IT is not at all likely that a soberminded
politician like the prince of Montenegro,
after long intercourse with Emperor
Francis Joseph, would play the part of a
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 impltience
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 tnke place in virtue Of agree
ment among the great powers, even If
it is preceded by European war. The
delusion is unfortunate. as il has led
some of them to make military prcpara-
tions far beyond their means. which
are bound to result in financial and
economical ruin.
There seems 10 be at present quite a
fiutter in the various Balkan capitals
in premature anticipation of the break.
up of the Turkish empire. II would be
extremely interesting 20 consult the
different maps which each of these lit
tie states has sketchcd 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 he maintained. After vainly
rndeavoring to obtain promises Of event
ual assistance from one or another of the
great powers, II is said that they now
contemplate falling hack 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.