The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1897-04-23
VAR IN SOUTHERN EUROPE.

VAR IN SOUTHERN ECROIE.
A number of battles have been
fought during the week between the
Greeks and Turks, and the struggle
which has been impending for
several months has been begun in
earnest. The present decade will go
down in history noted both for its
trumphs in arbitration, and for its
numerous wars in many sections OF
the globe. The Greece-Turkey war
NAV prove the most disastrous of all,
as it threatens to plunge all Europe
into the horrors of the battlefield.
While the European powers united
in the mandate to Greece and the
blockade of the Cretan ports, yet it is
we'll known that the sympathies of the
European powers are not Identical,
just as their governments are not
similar, England, France and Italy
will not suffer Turkey to go to the ex-
tent of appropriating Greek territory,
even if the Turkish forces are finally
victorious on the field. Germany, Rus
STA and Austria have not Republican
governments as England, France and
Italy have. The popular sentiment
has little or nothing to do with their
foreign policy. Should such calam-
ity as a general European war result
from these small beginnings, on the
side of Greece we would find the
nations whose foreign policies would
be controlled in large measure by
the spirit of liberty which exists in
their peoples; England France and
Italy; while on the side of Turkey
would be arrayed the monarchical
governments, Russia, Austria and
Germany.
King George, of Greece, in engag-
ing in war with Turkey, has done SO
at enormous odds. The patriotism
and national feeling of the people has
led their ruler to take an ill-advised
step. The standing army of the
Ottoman empire numbers about 300, 900
troops, while that of Greece is hardly
$4,000. Besides these odds, the Turk
ish generals are men of experience in
the field, many of them having fought
in the war between Russia and Tur-
key twenty years ago, while the Greek
generals lack experience. Greece's
resources for troops and supplies are
insignificant in comparison with those
of Turkey. King George thus early
in the struggle realizes what an enor-
nous undertaking he has begun and
urgent appeals have been issued to
his people to fly to arms and assist in
repelling the invading Turks.
But the very inequality of the con-
test will bring strong sympathies to
bear in favor of Greece. Many Greeks
who live III the United States are
sailing for their native land to assist
in the struggle.
There is another aspect of the situ:.-
ton which will have more or less
influence in the final result of this war
tits contest between a Mohammedan
nation and a Christian nation, the
Crescent against the Cross. The
Ottoman Empire is, as Mr.. Gladstone
says, ''wornout fiction" Sixty-one
thousand miles of territory have been
held together for years under the
name of the Ottoman empire, byTtb9
united Powers of Europe solely be-
cause these powers fear that sonezaof
tuefr nunoer VIII acquire too7faFzs. a
portion if a ACKNOWLEDGMENT was dr
fected.
While the Turks have an enormous
advantage on the land, the Greeks
are the stronger on the sea. The
Turkish navy is mere sham, and
one sharp naval encounter would de-
stroy its effectiveness.
Under these conditions it is likely
that Turkey will keep the war, as far
as possible, on the land, and that by
invading Grecian territory will at
tempt to bring the struggle to an ear
ly termination.
The sympathies of Christian nations
and of the republics of the globe are
wholly with Greece. The atrocities
committed by the Turks in Armenia
have so embittered civilization against
them that no enlightened nation can
throw its influence in favor of Turkey,
unless selfish motives blind it in its
action.
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