New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-09
Great Powers May Themselves
Become Involved in War
Whichever Side Is. Sue
cessful in Present
Conflict.
HIDEoUs STRUGGLE AHEAD
Bulgarian Premier Refuses to Con
slider Proposals for Maintenance
Of Peace-King Nicholas
and His Son Leave
for the Front.
rBy Gable 70 The Tribune.l

rBy Cable TO The Tribunel
London, Oct. 9.-The outbreak Of war
In the Balkans, which has been pointed
out in The Tribune cable dispatches
from London as the only logical de-
velopment Of the impossible political
situation in Southeastern Europe.
caused profound sensation here, where
I the optimistic statements made in Of
fetal quarters throughout the crisis
had been taken at their face value.
For the moment there is significant
lack Of news from the theatre of war.
and there is no doubt that the press
censor is busily at work.
According to the latest advices the
Bulgarian, Servian and Greek minis
ters are still in Constantinople. 1t Is
said. however, that they are arranging
to depart on Thursday, and there is
not the faintest doubt to be entertained
|
that Montenegro will be supported by
the other three states OF the Balkan
League.
| Bulgaria Decides for War;
The latest news from Sofia shows
clearly that all hope Of peace is lost.
Yesterday morning the Austrian and
Russian ministers, acting in behalf Of
! all the great powers, made a declaration
! to the Bulgarian government that they
] had decided to take a hand in the work
i Of reform in Macedonia, in conformity
with Article XIII Of the Treaty of
/ vent any change in the status quo in
the Balkans.
The Bulgarian Premier, in reply, said
that Turkey had had more than thirty
years in which to apply these reforms,
that now that the armies had nobi
Iized the situation had changed, and
that il was now impossible, therefore,
to keep peace at any price.
| II il believed here that Bulgaria and
Turkey are both manpuvring 10 throw
the onus of the first hostile act on
the other.
montenegro would not have declared
war IL she had stood alone, as In that
case, despite the mountainous charac-
ter of the country. its comparatively
small army would be quickly crushed
by the Turkish forces.
The Balkan powers have evidently no
faith In Turkish promises Of reform In
Macedonia. and have determined to at
tack the Turks before the Ottoman
government has had time to bring up
its huge Asiatic reserves.
Expert military opinion is divided as
TO the probable course Of the war, but
II is agreed on all sides that the
struggle will be one of hideous. and
perhaps unexampled. ferocity.
Morsover, whichever side is success
ful, the peace of Europe will be i'm.
periIled. Austria is resolved not to per-
nit any territorial expansion by Servia
ar BULGARIA, while in the event of the
Turks sweeping their enemies before
them and tramping the Balkans under
foot. the sympathies OF tho Russian
people with the conquered Slavs will
| be aroused and the Russian government
forced by popular passion to take an
active part In the game.
Europe is divided into two hostile
camps-England, France and Russia
occupying one and Germany, Austria
and Italy the other The six powers
are mutually distrustful Of one another
and have agreed to do their utmost to
localize the war, so that not any OF
them should have reasonable ground
for interfering and annexing some ter
ritory 10 which each of the others
thinks 1t has better right
To Maintain Status Quo.
Thus the powers have decided to
maintain the status quo as 1ar as tney
are directly concerned. bat circum-
stances may be too strong for them.
and II one intervenes and declares war
in the interest Of peace. others may
follow suit in the same righteous cause.
The members of the Greek Legation
at Constantinople have been ordered to
prepare for word to depart, and this
may foreshadow declaration Of war
by the Balkan league either to-day or
to- morrow. Thursday. as has been said
being the day on which 1t Is believed
they will depart
| A dispatch from Constantinople says
! that official news has been received