New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-28
AS VIEWED IN THE BALKANS
A STATESMAN POINTS OUT TACTICAL
ERRORS BY MINISTER'S
COMPLETE ACCORD BETWEEN THE BALKAN
STATES A FACTOR IN THE EAST
FIRM QUESTION
ERN QUESTIO.

Vienna correspondence Of The London STANDARD.
I was visited yesterday by a statesman from the
Balkan countries OF whose extended experience and
knowledge. on reaching the topic Of the day he
expressed surprise ut the tactical error made In the
ape IN Of the e @ 4t
papers. In constantly asserting that peace among
eventual war between Greece and Turkey ~.
Did this danger really exist" he remarked II
public utterances, since the admission OF II encour-
ages the Greeks. and works, moreover on their
national and individual vanity which everybody
who knows them-as, for instance, do-must con.
slider an important factor We nave the peace OF
terly illiterate In Greece reads daily in half
dozen patriotic papers Why should we not bs
paid something. he argues for not disturbing that
peace The politician-and who Is not one in
lean further say. with perfect justification,
themselves how can they be unitedg and the faith
in dissenson among the Powers has indeed done
more than anything to keep up the defiant spirit OK
the Greeks at home and Of the Insurgents In Crete
In my country and IN the other Balkan states
tions that general war is bound to follow an OUT
break of hostilities between Greece and turkey
that is to say, indirectly, through disturbances IN
Macedonia-have also done much mischief by con-
fuslng the ideas Of the common people As TO our
leading pcrsonaees they are at loss 70 under-
stand the connection, since Russia without whose
consent war in the East Is not possible has my,
the positive terms, that she wishes for peace
in general and guetude In iAe BaK@ns ID psrcu
with the Greek affair have also frequently reached
II read to-day Of the verbal notes presented 70
Turkey and Greece. telling them that neither would
be allowed TO reap any benefit from eventual VIC.
tory limitations TO the same erect we're maze
long ago by the Russian Minister TO my country
plainly told that this time II would not Be
like 1868. and that whatever we might acquire ny
In other words Europe would not tolerate an ex-
tension of territory however slight, on the present
money, as vel as imperne our future. to com
pete with Greece IN a scramble Tor Lurklsn 'e.r,
tho thing again and again, and mad hnaHy 70
take 1t as fact with as much good grace as pos.
sible. | do not say that If Turkey were TO allow
hordes Of irregulars to overrun Bulgaria or Servia
or Montenegro or If massacres Of our co-natona-
scale in Macedonia. there would not be public
outcry in favor Of taking the field against Turkey;
Sultan and the Porte were told several weeks ago
by Russia that they need not fear rising in Mace
the outcome Of II would not be recognized by Eu-
rope. At the same time ne sultan was warned warned
irregular, and have personal knowledge that
the strctest orders were constantly issued from
You may be quite sure that none OF the Balkan
States Will take part in a war between Greece and
defeated or victorious. We know that in the eyes
of Europe It would he all the same. and We back.
fear Of Europe--especiaIly OF Europe NJ the green
table which is more formidable than Europe ar
ranging blockadas and sending mixed forces OF IN
tcrna tional hnttallOns Another fact however. or
which only occasional notice has been taken IN the
newspapers ! would wish you to believe IN nrmly-
as regards the future II is one OF greater impor-
lance than the present Greek difficulty. ! alluds
10 the complete accord between Bulgaria and Ser
via, and If you like 10 include Montenegro as well,
you may. This accord has every appearance OF
leading TO alliance for the joint protection ol
common interests. whatever the term may mean.
warn you against making too much OF our lttle
differences on ecclesiastical matters. such as
whether the Bishop Of Jskub ought 20 be Serv1an
Bulgarian, instead Of Greek, because all those
questions will be settled with the assistance OF the
Sultan in the sense that the Ecumenical Patriarch
will be head only of the Creek Church In Turkey.
Eol oypip he n
the Scrvian and Rumanian Churches will secede:
end have their own Exarchs in Constantinople ana
their own Patriarchs In Macedonia or elsewhere.
This matter arranged, there will be nothing LETT o
divide us and the Balkan Allianoe-which you must
not confound with the Balkan Confederation OF ms
Tricoupis stamp-w be an important factor IN
Eastern affairs before the next European Confer
ence meets To my rather pertinent question
whether this alliance will be under Russian tute-
age or he kept free from outside patronage, my
visitor replied THAT depends But II our ideas are
realized. shall want nobody as patron. though
trying make friends Of all"