Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-10-27
JOSEPH r. SMITH,
ANTHON Fl. LUND.
JOHN HENRY SMITH.
First Presidency
THE BALKAN QUESTION.

Reports from the. Balkan are not
paciho at present. The question is
whether the cmbers of war are not
sirouldering in the ashes and whether
; the flame may not break forth any
time.
The trouble is Greece. But IL war
come this time. It will be not because
the Greeks want it. but because 1t Is
forced upon them by the Turks. The
Young Turk party is not popular. and
Its leaders hope to consolidate the
various factions by plunging the coun-
try into war with a weak enemy.
Probably the party leaders hope not
only to cover the government with
glory In such an enterprise but also
to regain lost territory. A war. 1t Is
thought, would save Turkey from q
new revolution.
Il Tho dispatches have told about q
boycott Instituted by the Turks against
Greek commerce. Greek clergy and
i Greek merchants in Turkish cities and
towns have been deprived Of privileges
which they have enjoyed for hundreds
OF years. and that were not even taken
from them at the time of the Greek
war OF Independence, nearly century
ago. Huge bodies of Turkish troops
are being massed upon the frontier,
where bands OF Turkish irregulars are
making constant raids into Greek terri
tory for purposes of rapine. plumber
and destruction. King Georges envoy
at Constantlnople has been subjected
to so much contumely by the members
of the Turkish government as to render
diplomatic intercourse a matter OF vir-
tual impossibllity. And, MS Il climax
to this, Turkey now threatens that in
tho event Of Venezelo being intrusted
with the premiership. or even with n
ministerial portfolio. it will regard his
nomination as q casus belli. This is
pursuing about the same tactics that
Bismarck adopted in forcing France
to declare war. 1t looks ominous
II Turkey makes war upon Greece,
It is not impossible that Bulgaria Will
take a hand in the contest. What
would happen further is but u matter
OF conjecture. Russia might again be
induced to interfere III behalf OF Greece,
and then the other great powers would
appear on the scene.
The great mistake, when Greece, after
ths most heroic struggle of modern
times was given Independence, was tho
failure Of the great powers to recognize
the rights of the Greeks outside tho
G narrow limits of the present kingdom
to the enjoyment OF tho privileges that
were granted their brethren. There are
4 millions Of Greeks in Turkey Just as
patriotic as their ltinsmen. and 1t was
Il serious mistake to leave them In
servitlIde when the shackles We're
( stricken from the limbs of others. This
I mistake will have to be corrected some
time. There will not DO peace before
this Is done. The revival of the old
byzantine empire would be u gain to
Europe. and I'LL the world. for 1t would
II mean a revival OF Greek art, Greek
+ literature. Greek civilization on a scale
not possible under present conditions,
and the world would be better for It,
And it must come some day For all
the injustice that has been inflicted
upon nations by means Of war will
nave to be wiped out and all wrongs
righted. before the peace that will last
for ever can come. TO right those
wrongs Is the chief problem before
tho twentieth century.