Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-14
A BALKANIC CONFEDERATION.

patriot. who in 1S44 presented plan
In which he showed the necessity for
the Servian kingdom to unite closely
with the Slavs Of the Balkans. He
maintained that the empire Of the Turk
Russia and Austria. The small Chris
tian states would be sacrificed: tho
Servians would be absorbed by Austria.
occupy Constantinople. On the con-
trary, IL the Ottoman empire should be
replaced by a younger and more capable
state to resist European ambitions the
peril of absorption would be avoiaeu-
NJ. 1vanovitch held that a Balkanic con-
federation could be substituted for the
Ottoman empire. but to attain that OBJ
ject Ii was necessary to overcome TN"
opposition of Russia. whose road to Son.
stantinople would be closed. and that
Of Austria, who excluded from tire
Balkans. would fear the influence or
Slavs Of the peninsula over their
brothers Of Croatia or Daimatla. lne
Servian nation would become the core
OF such a confederation: IL would thus:
after five centuries, renew the work or
Doutchan. interrupted by the Turks AT
kossoro.
NJ. Rene Pinon. in an interesting
study Of the Balkan question In the
Revue des Deux Mondes, entitled
Balkan Confederation; Is 1t Possible.
writes that other parties in GERMANY ana
Austria proposed a confederation. but
confederation in the interests OF the
Hapsburg and Of Germanism. Austria
was given the first place in the move
ment.
A.military and pan -Germanist jour
nal, the Dancers Armee Zeitung. our
ing the crisis provoked by
Vigorous the annexation OF Bosnia
a., Herzegovina November 3.
AusiCo. 1909 published an article
which attracted great attention. The
article invited the government ito
strike down by force the insolent re-
sistance of Servia and force her into a
confederation which would be organ
lied on the model OF the ancient Ger
manic confederation, which would
start with a customs union, Zollpar-
lament, and a federal bank Thus
under the auspices OF the cabinet or
Berlin would be realized the Bismarck
ian idea: a solid Germanic hold upon
the Balkans would unite all central Eu-
rope from Hamburg to Constantinople
in the interest OF the commerce and
"kultur' of the Germans.
1t is extremely interesting to cite else
where the text of the Dancers Armee Zei-
tung article: ITO accomplish the COM
plete hegemony of the Balkans we must
which, at any price. should become Our
frend-friend flexible ana dependent
This side view Of the German point OF
view in 1903 is most instructive in any
study Of the Germano-AuStrlan point OF
view in 1910.
NJ Rene-P inon tells us also Of an 1tal-
ian plan-an Italo-SIav plan-which left
a trace in the marriage of Victor EN-
manuel with the daughter of the Prince
of Montenegro. This fact, the agreement
between Rome and Belgrade to the
railroad from the Danube to the Adriatic.
and the interview of the car and the
King of Italy at Racconigi October ~
1909, mark the march of progress of that
plan. The raoprOchement of Russia
and Italy said NJ. Tittoni in December.
1909, in the Italian chamber. lis hence
forth an accomplished fact, whose i'm
portance will be revealed in the future"
and M. 1SvOlsky a few days thereafter
made use Of identical expressions in the
duma
A curious book published in France In
1905 under the title Of "A Latin should
be mentioned. The author, in view OF
the assumed decadence of the Turk. then
a foregOne conclusion. proposed an ORR
entail confederation, composed of the act
ual states in the peninsula-a Macedonia
Albania from the Adriatic TO the Mesta,
Crete would be annexed to Greece, the
sandjak Of Novi-BaZar would he divided
between Montenegro and Servia in such
q way as to bar to Austrian ambitions tho
route from Macedonia 10 Salonlkf. Rou-
mania would enter into the confederation.
The hegemony of the confederation would
be neither Heilenism Slavism nor Ger
manism. but Latinism. An Italian prince
would reign over the state of Macedonia
Albania. The King of Italy, proclaimed
emperor. would become protector of tho
confederation. with mission to protect
against the ambitions of Russia as well
as those of Austria. Constantinople would
be a free city, with Thrace as suburbs.
and would be governed nv al immortal
lieutenant. The cross of Savoy would
float above st. Sophia. The Italian lam
guage would be the language of the con-
federation.