Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1912-11-01
SEE DOOM OF TURKEY
SOUNDED.
Europe Staggered by the Balkan
States Successes.

London, Oct. &c. - Europe realizes
tonight that it is face to face with a
new situation in the Near East. The
old order has changed, giving place to
the new. The past week has seen
great events and still greater are in
prospect
The knel of "the sick man of Eu-
rope" is being toled, and other bells,
which to some ears have the ominous
notes of tocsin, are ringing out the
birth of young federation, which,
clad in shining armor and already strong
achievement, may bid defiance to the
great powers.
With the capture of Uskub, follow
ing the victory at Kirk Kilisseh and at
tack on Adrianople in the two chief
theatres of the war, and the uninter-
rupted, though less important successes
in other fields, the armies of the Balkan
federation have staggered Europe, if
not humanity. Germany and Austria
stand aghast at the sorry figure cut by
the Turk in the face of these small
nations, whose military prowess was
unsupported
The Turk stands at bay, and some
believe that he may yet retrieve him
self. But nothing he has yet accom-
plished justiies the belief that he can
long arrest the progress of the victori-
Gus Balkan armies in their eventual
march on Constantinople.
The dream of reconstructed Byzan-
tium is assuming the semblance of a
reality, and the cross may again crown
the basilica of st. Sophia instead of the
crescent.
This is the new situation which con-
fronts Europe. The great powers have
declared that whatever the outcome of
the military campaign in the Balkans,
the status quo must be maintained, and
no territorial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT will be
permitted to the allied States, regard
less of the cost in blood and money
which their victory may involve.
Already the authorized spokesman for
the Balkan States are intimating that
these declarations of the great powers
are so many idle words, and that the
allies must have voice in the settle
ment which will follow the war.
Chedo Miyatovch, formerly the Ser
Wan Minister in London, said in an in
terview today:
This is war to the knife between
Turk and Christian. The members of
the European concert may say that
whatever the result, there can be no al
teration in the status quo in the Near
East, but they are wrong. This is a
territorial war, and we of the Balkans
are fighting for territory. Why is it
necessary to endeavor to obscure this
fact from the public? Why cannot
diplomacy be honest and say right out
that such are the desires of the Balkan
allies in the event land | think the
probable event. of the allies emerging
victorious from the titanic struggle
now raging?
81 believe | am right in saying that
an agreement has already been reached
by the monarchs of the respective
countries = Servia, Bulgaria, Greece
and Montenegro, as to the division of
territory.
"Servia aspires to the territory once
occupied by Old Servia, with rather
extended frontiers, and Bulgaria to
Macedonia
This plain speaking is corroborated
from various sources, and is generally
accepted as an exact statement of the
situation. How can the great powers
enforce their decision and maintain the
status quo? Clearly, the Balkan allies
are unlikely to submit to diplomatic
dictation. Only by force of arms could
the great powers compel them to stand
/ by, while the conference sits to debate
what shall be done with the enemy,
whom after centuries of oppression they
have at last laid low
And how could the great powers,
whose conflicting interests and ambi-
tons and mutual jealouses make their
agreement even upon the terms of a
diplomatic note matter of extreme
difficulty and protracted negotiations,
come to an arrangement whereby a
joint force shall be employed in the
task of coercion?
On the contrary, when the terms of
settlement come to be discussed, the
rivalries of the powers are bound to
emerge from a dormant into an active
stage. In this connection the follow
ing dispatch. just received from The
New York Times correspondent in vi
emma, is important:
According to an excellent authority.
Austria is assuming the attitude of
cool bystander concerning the question
of Intervention. She declares she will
willingly adhere to M. Poincare's pro-
gramme, supported by Russia, which
involves maintaining the status quo