The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-05-07
Will, RISE AGAIN,

With SNUG selfsatisfaction the powers OF
Europe announce that with the surrender of
Scutar by King Nicholas Of Montenegro the
peace of the continent has been assured.
1t has 1t has been assured just peace is
assured In the back alley when the midnight
highwayman slugs his victim into insensibilty
and makes off with his possessions The sleep
ing neighborhood has not been disturbed no ones
slumber has been broken and the cop on the
corner continues blissfully to dream at his station
against the telegraph pole All is peace; even
the victim makes fuss.
King Nicholas took what had been raped from
his peoples years ago He defed Europe and
took Scutari, his straightway he became
disturber of the peace, because Austria wanted
that to which she had no claim that Of
might and for which she had not turned a
finger Austria wanted 1t and King Nicholas
wanted it and because Austria was in a position
to make more trouble than the rightful owner.
the powers of Europe backed Austria. Yielding
to force Nicholas finally surrendered and the
nations were at peace. Everyone is peaceful
when he can rob others without fight.
But what of the future?
Since there was Near East question. which
has been since the first Turk crossed the Bos
phorous centuries ago, greed and avarice and
fear have ruled Europe Justice and common
honesty have had no place In the deliberations
on this question He took who could and held
who had the power. Other peoples territory
has been the pawn with which the great nations
have played Greed has been matched against
greed, avarcc against avarice and fear has al
ways tipped the scales Time after time little
craftsmanship. little international honesty
would have settled the question. but time after
time the trouble has been smoothed over by
giving this power little and that a little and
that which could not be agreed upon to the
Turk This time there no Turk to give the
disputed territory to and the crisis became more
acute Montenegro took territory once wrested
from her and 1t might have been expected that
all would be satisfied. But not so. Austria saw
an opportunity to get that to which she had
no right and bluffed Europe into forcing little
Montenegro to give 1t up The result is that
the trouble In again smoothed over rather than
settled
VIII the peace continue? Montenegro has
been put to sleep by the highwayman, but what
will happen when Montenegro awakes? What
will happen when her fellow Savs come to her
The status quo the maintenance OF which is
the aim Of EUROPE, will he brohen again. The
Near East question will arise again like Banquos
ghost to trouble and threaten international war.
The question is not settled. The status quo can
not be maintained Austria Hungary. nation
of buffers, has bluffed Europe. Next time some
other nation will work the bluff and cowardiee
on the part of the others will give her the trick.
Some day perhaps, the diplomatists Of Europe
and there will be no Near East question
In the meantime the sympathies of most dis
interested people are with Nicholas OF Monte
negro He did make trouble, just as the high
wayman's victim always makes trouble when he
is man Of courage and fights for his property
He made more trouble than Turkey would have
made, If the Europeans had done the right thing
a, other times and taken the disputed Balkan
territory from her and given 1t to its original
owners. Then Europe gave that territory to
Turkey who once possessed It by the right of
conquest but had lost it. This time she gave
il to Austria Hungary who did not possess it
and had not particle OF claim to 1t. Each
time would have been the last II the territory
rar Dcsn properly diIrossu u: r his 'rft1e n