Evening star., 1897-04-15
Explanation of Her ro-Turkish Att
tude.
[0PING 10 ACQUIRE CRETE HERSELF
Opposition Of the Balkan PrincipaIi-
ties to Turkey.
TO MACEDONIA

fined idea Of the political and diplomatic
situation in the east, or of the motives
| underlying the lately developed crisis there
| which momentarily threatens to disturb
| the peace of Europe, says the Philadel-
phia Times. Information on this subject
| from an authoritative source has been
looked for with interest by those who have
| watched the course of events. Prof. w.
| Grablachof of Shenandoah Normal Col
lege has been for years a deep student of
| Central European and oriental matters,
and has written and spoken enough to the
point to have gained the reputation Of
| being able to shed considerable light on
the actions of at least one Of the great
| European powers concerned in the i'm
| broglio. In speaking yesterday of the policy
| of Russia and the Balkan States, Prof.
| the inner workings Of the Russian foreign
Office.
Russfa's Attitude Explained.
The attitude of Russia in the Greco
Turkish controversy with regard to Crete
has occasioned a good deal of surprise, as.
notwithstanding the blood ties which con-
meet the Greek and Russian thrones, the
| policy of the great White Bear of the
east has been decidedly pro-Turkish. This,
| however, is easily explained by the fact
| that the Island of Crete is a strategic point
| of more than usual importance as a coal
| ing station, which, should Greek annexa-
| ton become an accomplished fact, would
| be forever lost to Russia.
On the other hand the Russian mind has
never ceased to cherish the belief that
| Russian supremacy in Turkey is sooner
| or later inevitable. and should Crete re-
main an integral part Of the Turkish en-
+, pire, Russia would then hold the key to
| the eastern basin of the Mediterranean
| Russia, therefore, has not been at all
scrupulous in the methods employed by
her In blocking the plans of King George
| by resorting to the course. Of setting by
| the ears the smaller prncipalities of the
| Balkan peninsula.
| What Greece Relies Upon.
The reason for this is plain. In provok-
ing war with Turkey Greece must rely
| for success upon three things.
First, the fact that large majority of
| the subjects of the sultan are Christians
| or others who are intensely dissatisfied
with the Turkish regime and would be glad
| TO rise In rebellion on any pretense. Es-
pecially ts this true of such provinces as
Thessaly and Maeedonia, Inhabited almost
| entirely by mixed Christian population
of Gfeeks and Bulgarians. who are apx-
| iouS for any opportunity of throwing ,ff
| the Turkish yoke
| Second, the financial embarrassments of
! the Turkish exchequer, and the rottenness
OF her whole financial system.
| Third, that Bulgaria, Servia and Men
achieved their own independence from the
| turkish government. would rally in sup
| port Of the Greek standard.
| Claim to Macedonia.
Servia, Bulgaria and Greece all lay claim
to Macedonia, the population of which is
| composed chiefly of these three nationa,i-
ties, the majority being Bulgarians Ser
| via and Bulgaria, therefore, would not be
willing to see Greece annex Macedonia en-
| tire, but in case of Greek war with Turkey
| would assist Greece with the ultimate idea
| of dividing the province in question Pre-
| vious to the Cretan insurrecton number
| of Turkish massacres in Macedonia caused
| the Bulgarian government to send a del
! egate to Greece, with the idea of entering
| into treaty to jointly demand of the Eu-
ropean powers that sundry reforms should
! be there carried out.
Refused Bulgarian Aid.
In case the powers refused to intervene
| 1T was proposed that Greece and Bulgaria
| should unite their forces in war against
| Turkey, trusting for success to the inter-
| nal discomfort existing in the Turkish en-
| pire. Greece, however. did not accede to
| this request, for the reason that the Bull
garian proposition included the Bulgarian
annexation OF TheSSalonica. Greece could
not agree to this, and the plan was aban-
| doned. Soon after this the trouble in Crete
| induced Greece 70 attempt an armed occu-
Pdtiou VI the ISiduu ana She now bitterly
| regrets her refusal of the proffered Bulga-
| Ftan aid, fearing that in case of war with
| Turkey Bulgaria will remain neutral. But
| this Is not likely to be the case, as how
ever much the government of this little
princfpality may, desire to conform to the
Russian policy, the feeling of the people is
so strong against Turkey that in case of
declaration of war by Greece they would
in. all probability overthrow the present
cabinet and join hands against their COM
mon enemy for Macedonia.
Russia Started q Scheme.
Russia, seeing this. has labored to dis
tract the attention of Bulgaria from the
main question at issue by antagonizing this
| nation with her sister country of Rouma-
| MIA. thus a1fording herself the opportunity
of occupying both these countries in the
| ostensible role of peacemaker, but with the
real purpose of openings clear path for
| herself to Constantinople. She has been
favored in her machinations by the provis-
| ions Of the treaty of Berlin, by which Bull
garia was divided into several provinces,
one of which. Dobradja. was given to Rou-
mania, and another, Bassarabia, to Russia
| This province of Dobradja, having been
| formerly Bulgarian. is Of course inhabited
i chiefly by that nationality, and is rather
less fertile and productive than the more
southerly- Bassarabia. Hence, the Rouma-
| mans consider that they got the worst Of
i the bargain and vent their dissatisfaction
/ upon the Bulgarians resident In Dobradja
L ny 0cAyln8 Inehi-fAe f48AtS which ar6-ac-4
corded native -Roumanians. such as repre-.
| sentation in n-the senate, etc.
|. DulEdria's Action.
Bulgaria, indignant at this injustice. has
repeatedly interceded with the Roumanian
government for change in this policy of
discrimination. to which Roumania has In
variably replied that Dobradja was part
OF Roumania, and that no other country
had right to dictate the administration
of Roumanian affairs. This has been
source Of countless diplomatic squabbles
which Russia has industriously fomented
to the best of her strategic ability, with
the sole idea of diverting the attention of
the Bulgarian government and people from
the more serious issue Of Greek and Bull
garian union against Turkey The ill-fael-
ing between Bulgaria and Roumania has
now grown to such q height that 20,O0O
Roumanian and an equal number Of Bull
garian troops are now massed on the from
tier, and Russia merely awaits the moment
Of open conflict as q signal for throwing
her own forces across the Danube, appar-
emily on q mission Of pacifcafion, but In
reality with the object of occupying the
Greek frontier. from which vantage ground
she would be easily mistress Of the whole
eastern situataon.