Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-11-06
THE BALKAN WAR.
Causes of the War Now Being Waged
Among Balkan States of
Southern Europe.


is Turkey against the field, the field
being the Balkan states. The main
or primary cause is fight for re-
form. Greeks, Bulgarians, Servians.
and Albanians have suffered alike at
the hands of Turkey and here is the
explanation of the general uprising.
To correctly understand the way,
one must know the relation Of the
Balkans to the powers and to Turkey.
Many European powers would like
to see the Turkish empire disinte-
grated in order to divide it's various
parts among them. But these powers
are jealous, one of the other, and
knowing that a forced partition
would precipitate European war,
have adopted the peculiar policy of
preserving intact what they cannot
divide. This policy is known by the
formula of 1.-The maintenance of the
status quo in Turkey" The famous
treaty of Berlin agreed upon by the
concert of the powers in 1878 pro-
vided for self government in the
European provinces of Turkey and
recognized the existence of five sep
arate kingdoms in the Balkans,
namely, Greece, Roumania, Servia,
Bulgaria and Montenegro. 1t estab-
lished the Austro-Hungarian protec-
torate in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
the English protectorate on the island
of Cyprus and the Bulgarian pro-
tectorate i'm Eastern Rumelia.
To preserve Turkey intact the great
powers assumed the role of protec-
tors of the sultanate, and as far as
Turkey was concerned under the
smooth Vaccinations of Abdul
Hamid, who was great diplomat,
playing one of the European nations
against the other, the treaty of Ber-
lin was dead letter.
After Abdul Hamid was dethroned
and the young Turks took the reins,
better things were hoped for, but
instead of better things grew worse.
The old regime never thought of
making or ever tried to make Turks
out of Greeks or Albanians, but this
the young Turks tried to do by means
of oppression, tyranny and perse-
cutions. The national character of
the non-Moslem subjects of Turkey
was endangered in an alarming way;
the most vital interests of the Balkan
countries were at stake.
i And so against this common foe,
the young Turk, and his policy of the
i Qualification of the Christians, the
Balkan states for the first time in
their political history united under
the standard of the cross to fight the
infidel under the crescent. Italy has
succeeded in overthrowing the young
Turk in a war which has just ended,
but that has not brought any relief
to the Balkans, and the daily reports
show that the war goes merrily on
from day to day.
There are authorities who put the
strength of the Ealkan army az a
million men, and it is predicted the
Turk will have a hard time unless
some or all of the powers intervene.
Graphic descriptions of the week
long battle between the Turkish and
Bulgarian armies are being slowly
sent out. 1t would appear that near
ly five hundred thousand men were
engaged in the battle.
The fighting on the left wing was
OF twenty miles. Lule Burgas was
coming untenable, the Turks fell
| back to the iron railway bridge
across the river Erken. At dawn
Wednesday the battle ragged with
equal fierceness along the whole front
of twenty miles. Llue Burgas was
fired by Bulgarian shells. The Bull
garians made determined effort to
TAKE Tic ldllWay OiioSS, OUN
Turks drove them back with sweep
ing fire. The Bulgarian artillery
then concentrated its fire. on the
center of the Turkish position as a
prelude to the assault. The Turkish
infantry suffered heavily. No de-
scription of the later stages OF the
battle have yet come through but
Sofia reports the Bulgarians carried
everything before them, the Turks
giving way all along the line We'd
nesday evening. The Bulgarians
captured the railway line to Saloniki
which now is isolated. Christian
soldiers in the Turkish army con-
tinue to desert in great numbers.
So confident are the Bulgarians OF
their ability to overcome the shat
tered army of Nazim Pasha, now
stretched along the Topatalja line
built to defend the Ottoman capital,
that part of their army is being sent
hack to Adrianople. 1t will there
complete the investment OF that for-
tress and carry on the siege, and II