New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-22
WHO BREAKS. PAYS"

theoretically, there is some little interest in
the question which Power began the Greco
Turkish War. for the great Powers have solemn
ly announced that the aggressor shall have none
of the spoils The sense. the sincerity and the
practically Of that declaration may well be
challenged. But letting 1t stand for the moment
for the sake of argument. against which of the
combatants Is It directed? The Turks declare
that the Greeks began the war. and the Greeks
declare that the Turks did. The impartial his
torlan Of the future Will probably record that
whichever Of the two actually committed the
first breach Of the peace the real war maker
was the Concert OF the Powers But as be-
tween Greece and Turkey. there Is no room Tor
doubling that responsibility must rest upon the
latter. In the first place, Turkey has never full
filed her engagements TO Greece under the Ber-
lin Treaty Of 1878 Her army now operating
against Greece has its headquarters on territory
then assigned to Greece, but never yet actually
surrendered. Next. Turkey made straight for
war by her brutal mlsgovernment OF Crete. Then
she proceeded to menace Greece by massing
troops on her frontier long before Greece sent
any thlther. and by building Notifications at
Prevesa in contravention Of her treaty agree
ments. Finally. she proclaimed war and began
tho actual fighting. Beyond all doubt she is the
aggressor, and We have the word Of the great
Powers for 1t that she will not be permitted to
gain the slightest advantage from the results Of
the war.
SO much, supposng the great Powers to be
in earnest and able to fulfil their threat. AS It
happens that Turkey IS the aggressor, that sup
position is made tenable Otherwise, 1t would
not be. If Turkey, being the aggressor, should
win the war, the great Powers might and prob
ably would prevent her from gaining any terri
toria or other advantage thereby. But suppose
Greece had been the aggrcssor, and should win,
and should set Crete Eplrus and Macedonia free
from the Turkish yoke. Would the six great
Powers 20 to war with her and compel her TO
restore them to Turkey? The lease Of life Of the
Governments Of three OF them would not be
worth much II they tried It. 1t Is bad enough
TO act as the policemen Of the Porte. and at
Turkish bidding slaughter the Cretan Christians
who are striving for their freedom. But If
Turkey got worsted IN this war, and offered
Crete or Eplrus to Greece as the price Of peace,
and the great Powers made war on Greece to
proven. the consummation OF the bargain, that
would be far worse. Moreover, when was this
principle that the aggrcssor shall have no spoils,
established In international law? Surely not
and half dozen minor States. Not when Sar-
DINA invaded the Two Slcilles. Not when Servla
made war on Turkey, nor when Bulgaria made
war on Servla. nor when Russia made war on
Turkey. Not in any one Of dozen episodes in
recent European history. 1t Is too near the
century's end to bring it forward now.
No; that declaration Of tho great Powers is,
with all respect for It's august source nothing
but buncombe. 1t is SO not merely because 1t
Is senseless and insincere, but because it Is ut
terry incapable of execution. So far as 1t means
anything 1t expresses the selfish greed Of the
great Powers. They do not want Greece to gain
anything, because they want everything for
themselves. Greece must not have Crete, be-
cause both Great Britain and Russia want It;
and 1t would he harder TO take it from Greece
than to wrest 1t from the ruins Of the Turkish
Empire when the latter falls. Greece must not
have Epirus and Macedonia, because both Rus
sa and Austria-Hungary want them. And so
all along the line. Well, that IS an Ineligible
policy, but 1t is impractlcable. Because, IL
Greece wins one OF these provinces, and the
great Powers Will not let her keep it, they must
make some other disposition of II, and upon that
they cannot agree Would Russia drive Greece
out Of Crete to let Great Britain in? Would
Austra-Hungary agree to take Salonca from
Greece and give It to Russia? The notion Is
absurd. A concert Of negation IL easy enough
to maintain; but n concert Of positive action is
very different thing. "Who breaks, pays" Is
a good old rule But enforcement Of it requires
something more than concert" OF six discor-
dant and mutually distrustful Powers.
|