The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1912-11-23

and side by side with them others liv
in misery and that there are ofte
those, made like themselves, who may
not without justification, complain G
their lot.
AS they themselves are satisfied, tn
entire world, they think, ought to
happy, and if now and again those les
content with life raise their lamenta
tons too high they grow irritated; the
accuse them of wishing to disturb tn
perfect balance of human things.
Europe is supplying new example
of this phenomenan. Unrest by tn
small Balkan states allied into
league, is prepared to break the peac,
of Europe" Consequently Europe
rich and happy, is bad tempered. l
protests against the young states. I
accuses them of wishing to disturb the
peace of the world and expose them
selves to moral danger seriously with
out any serious reason, when in reality
| it is serious tragedy which is begin
ming.
Not War With Barbarism.
AS rule in Europe, whenever a con-
flict breaks out between Christian
power and a Mussulman state-and not
only one of the less powerful, such as
Morocco and Persia, but likewise the
greatest of all, which is Turkey-it is
said that civilization and barbarism ara
entering the lists against each other.
Even the friends of Turkey-who, as
as a rule far from disinterested in Eu-
rope-do not hesitate to acknowledge
that Turkey represents barbarism en-
camped in arms in the confines of the
old world and it's civilization, and per-
sisting by virtue of military prestige
in defending to the last drop of blood
the last morsel of Europe still in it's
hands-Macedonia.
Few Europeans or Americans, what
ever their opinions on the foreign pol
icy which the great powers should pur-
knowledge that other civilizations may
exist beyond that flourishing in Amer
lea and England But if the contest
between Islam and Greece were merely
struggle between civilization and
barbarism it would have been brought
to a close long ago. Barbarism has
always been amenable to conquest by
civilization, and even after it's most
extraordinary military triumphs, it is
not long before it is conquered in turn
by the intellectual superiority of the
vanquished and becomes it's pupil and
its imitator, adopting it's arts, it's So
cial and moral ideas, it's institutions
and its laws.
ConquerOrs Themselves Conquered.
1t was not long before the victorious
the Chinese, who, though conquered,
were so much more civilized than
The barbarians of Ger
many were rapidly Latinized when they
crossed the frontiers of the empire
and occupied its territories. The Turks
when at the end of the fiji
teenth century they invaded the east
ern empire, were also semi savage |
hordes, but they too were unable to
the civilization which they
found in the conquered territories COM
Sc Dt-1 Arc hi o10 |
ments.
On the other hand, however it is
known to all that the Balkan war is
called forth by the internal conditions
If Macedonia, where the Christian pop
ilation, composed of Greeks, Bu.gars
and serbs, is endeavoring to throw off
he Mlssulman yoke. The four Balkan
states are taking up arms in order to
compel Turkey 10 recognize the rights
If the different Christian popn 'a.ions
iv-ng in Macedonia each state fight
ng for it's brothers in language.
Tor when we examine closely into
he conditions of this conflict between
Mussulmen and Christians in Mace
lonia it is difficult to recognize the
contest of civilization, represented by
he Christians, against barbarism, rep
.esented by the Turks. .
The Greeks, Bulgars and Serbs liv-
ng in Macedonia are almost all peas
lnts still and live by cultivating the
treat estates of the Turkish lords OF
heir own small holdings. They there
ore form a rural population very poor
md still bearing traces of many CEN
uries of the serfdom under which they
Ave lived.
Only for a few decades past has this
population, for centuries rough, ignor-
mt and oppressed, begun to acquire
of itself or it's stock and
s. national rights, to aspire to better
onditions, greater ease, more comfort
BILE life and, above all, that safety and
rder which our civilization has Sc
ured to the rural population of Eu-
ope.
It therefore cannot be said that ow-
ng to the sole fact of their being
christians for centuries these popula-
ions represent civilization in Mace
onia. Until half century ago they
we'd in crude barbarism as did the