The sun., 1908-08-23

Mediterranean CIVILIZATION ~ Celtic I
Dacian or Hungarian savagery; II 10 tia
highway which should to-day take back
European civilization to Levsntine bar.
barism. II 10 In fine the highway which.
pointing toward Macedonia, first descends
the Danube. next enters below Belgrade
the defils Of the Morava, then goes on 10
the passes ami tho course Of the Varciar
and finally at Salonioa reaches the Medi,
terraneail Sea. From the Baltic to the Archi-
pelaRo, from the northern forests TO tbA
Mediterranean orchards. this route by way
OF the varder 10 the most direct, the short
est ths uaoat convenient. As NJ. Berasd
puts It: From the peoples OF the north 10
the peoples of the south. from the drinkers
of beer to the drinkers Of wine, from ths
caters of black bread and sourkraut to the
eaters Of rioe and white bread, from loe and
frs 10 the mulberry and the oIlve-what con.
tinual barter and exchange ought not this
high road across Europe to establish for the
profit Of all dweIlers In its neighborhood,
for the profit shove all Of the masters Of
the crossroadzl" AZ matter Of fact,
however, Vienna, Raab. Buda. Mohaos,
Petervardin, Carlowits, Belgrade. Passaro-
vitz, Uskub and twenty other names Of
battles or treaties recall at every stage Of
modern history how for four centuries since
the entry OF the Turks into Europe this road
has been only o path for armies on which
Mohammedans and Christians have ad-
vsnoed or retired by turns. vying always In
massacre and pillase.
M. Berard fnds It easy to show that OUT
side Of the national market the sole GUS
toners for Hungary's manufactures are the
Balkans and the Levant. Hungarian In
dustries will not be able to live unless Bull
garians Servians, Maoedonians Albaniana,
Armenians and Turks become pacifed,
resenerated, delivered from terror and want,
sure Of the present and confident Of the
future. As things are the Magyars
have been the greatest sufferers from the
years in Macedonia. II Hungary wishes
to be really free in the sense Of being eoonom-
ioally independent Of Austria she now
recognizes that she must open the doom
Of the Levant to her commerce. The Var
dar route 10 necessity to her. The pdcif-
cation and prosperity Of Macedonia are in
dispensable to her II her manufacture ars
to meet with q demand which viii stimulate
the Development Of her natural resources.
Budapest must have her Rotterdam in
Salonioa in order that the ports OF the Le-
want may become her customers. II M.
Berard says her Rotterdam and not an
other Fumc It 10 because he holds that the
last thing wanted by Hungary Is the annex
alton Of Macedonia. AZ independent or
Dutch Rotterdam serves for maritime port
to the German Rhineland so an independ-
ent. that is to say. Turkish Salonioa, must
servo a. an outlet for the commerce Of Hum
gary. To obtain this result 1t is not need
ful that Hungarian flag should fly at Sa-
lonica a. It flies at Fiurne; on the contrary:
the Magysrs are well aware that the moor
poratiou Of Macedonia would draw upon
them az many evils a. her paoihoation would
bring benefits. Intelligent people In Budas
pest foresee that an annexed Macedonia
would give crushing superiority to the
Slav element In the Transleithan kingdom.
an element already hard to deal with; would
excite against the Magyars the hatred Of all
the Balkan peoples and COST them II not Q
permanent war with their neighbors Of Cet-
tnje. Belgrade and Sofia at least the al
most equally heavy burden Of q military
occupation. What the Magyars, like the
peoples OF the Balkans and like the Turk
himself want, 10 peace and order on the
road to salonica and as ample facilities for
international commerce at the mouths
Of the vardar as at the mouths OF the Dam
ube.
It 10 now obvious that what M. Berard
hoped to bring about for tho cause Of civih-
xation and commercial progress by the ef-
fort Of the Hungarians. oonjoined with those
Of the Balkan States and Of the Western
Powers. promises to be effected through tho
installation Of representative self-govern-
ment In Turkey. or. in other words. Of
regime under which all the subjects Of the
Ottoman Empire. without regard to race
or to religion. will possess equal rights.