Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-05

SOuth nciS hiSot pOi dlcu ihtO tiio x<ois -
influence. Negotia.
tons were commenced in the spring of
1876 at Reichstadt. Col. Barensow had
established in his work, Souvenir of the
Vienna NJ. Novikow. said December is.
1876: 1T is to be hoped that Austria Will
place her hand on Bosnia Herzegovina.
and Gen. Kouropatkin. quoting this re-
mark. adds: Austria Hungary has re-
ceived from the congress at Berlin the
European mandate to occupy militarily
and to administer snia-Herzegovina.
Prince Gortchakow said. apropos. that
Russia was not interested in the matter.
Why, then. have us make so much noise
about 1t in 1902"
Not without bitterness Gen. Kouropat-
kin remarks, besides, that for thirty years
the affairs Of the Bal
Kouropatkin's kans have been regu-
lated without Russia.
AetseA' II not against her. In
1885 it was the reunion Of Rumelia to
Bulgaria, followed by the Bulgaro-Rus-
sian conflict: then the same year the
Serbo- Bulgarian war: in 1897 the Greco
Turk war. without consultation with Rus
sia. In 1908 Bulgaria proclaimed her in
dependence without notice to st. Peters
And suddenly we find ourselves Of
Tended. That proves that it is time to
cast our eyes upon the past century and
to free our enchanted hands in the Bal
kans 1t is high time to precise our real
interests, not our ideal interest in that
part of Europe, and to negotiate with
Austria convention which will deter
nina respective spheres OF influence"
In other words Gen. kouropatkin pro-
poses that Russia should pass from pol
icy Of vague aspirations and practical in
ertla to a policy or real1zable tninSs.
limited and positive.
When Cen Kouropatkin looks in the
face the events of the thirty years past
he recounts what is well known to every
one. Russia, since the congress of Der
lin, had neglected the near east and had
turned her eyes toward farther Asia
From 1880 the Russian expansion in Asia
commenced by the war against Yacoub.
the campaigns of Tchernaiev, Roman
tan in 1870. that of Khiva in 1873, that
of khokand in 1876 and that of Merv
some years later. These campaigns were
pushed so actively that after the success
of Gen. Komarow in 1855 rupture
seemed inevitable between Russia and
England. This shock averted. the slide
of Russian forces continued, until we
have seen them gain the plateaus OF Mon
golia and Manchuria and drop into emma
and Tibet. The treaty of Cassini OF
1906, the occupation Of Port Arthur. the
enterprises of the adroit De Waeber and
those Of Bezobrazow in Korea were fol-
lowed by the Chino-Japanese war, the
Russian-Japanese war and the peace OF
Portsmouth. Meanwhile. Russia. absorbed
by her operations In the far east,
abandoned the near east in Europe to
that negative entente of 1897 with Aus
tria- Hungary. which war was really on
Russia's part practical avowal OF
Balkanic impotence.
NJ. Isyolsky, who will be accredited in
history with the merit of having liquidat-
ed the Asiatic ventures
1svolsky's and established the An
Responsibility. ton, was not favored
by fortune In 1908. Austria-Hungary
is Russia's natural rival, and it
must be confessed that notwithstanding
the Anglo-Russian reconciliation Austria
had scored her greatest success against
her rival. 1t would be unjust. however, to
place upon NJ. Isvolsky the entire respon-
sibility of the setback received by Russia.
NJ Isvolsky said in the duma, eleven
months ago, that his hands were not free,
and if for the Bosnian question he had
thrown Russia into war he would nave
committed an inexcusable fault. Under
InOSS ClTCuISlduCCS, lSNO1chy NC
charged only with errors of method.
Notably, he should have declared long
ago that Russia had few or no reasons
for opposing the annexation Of Bosnia
Herzegoyina On the The other ,a,r ha aats,nn ne
after all pacific solution.
We must accustom ourselves to think
of the Ottoman empire as having become
something altogether different from the
secular 'sick man" whose inheritance
E~,,rn ho @.
counting twice a century. Bulgaria is no
longer a minor state. of which a benevo-
lent or interested tutor may dispose as he
may choose.
with the above mentioned states. exer-
cising great influence in the Balkans
and creating situation entirely apart
from European infuence-a situation
which does not seem likely to be soon
modified.
Gen. Kouropatkin is not very precise
in his suggestions as to the solution Of
the questions that separate Russia and
Austria Hungary. Gen. kouropatkin
very clearly suggests. however, an en-
tria Hungary. We are accustomed to dip
lomatic surprises and this suggestion, if
realized, may be accounted as one.
From this distance Gen. Kouropat-
kin's suggestions seem impractical. if
not impossible. Indeed, in
Impractical view of the unfortunate
c.A: polenlics concerning the
Suggestions. annexation Of Bosnia
Herzegovina it may be that Gen. Kou-
ropatkin's suggestions are merely a diver
sion intended to distract attention from
a deplorable diplomatic situation now a
subject of general discussion. NJ. Isvolsky
is reported to have said that the conse-
quence of the publication in question
might prove to be embarrassing for 9TH
ers than Russia
a recent dispatch from Helsingfors re-
ports the continued state of unrest which
prevails in Finland because OF the policy
of the government at ST. Petersburg In
curtailing Finlands independence. The
ear has imposed an annual contribution
on Finland of $2.OOO,OO0. rising an
mediate payment of $4,O0O.OO0 is ordered
to cover the years 1908 and 1909. The
government of the car refuses to con-
slider Finland's claim for a separate
army A movement to reject the levy
and to protest against thes continued
violation of the constitution is being con-
sidered Should such action be taken by
the diet 1t will be followed Individually
by dissolution
Prof. Van der Vlugt OF the University
Of Leyden has just published an i'm
portant pamphlet entitled "A New Russo
Finland Conflict" which is an appeal for
justice or "a little people which have
always been distinguished in the front