Imperial Valley press., 1913-11-10
Terrible Havoc
Of Balkan War

That an appalling price was paid
by the Balkan allies for the land
wrested from the Turks is shown by
a comprehensive review of the situa-
ton following the Bucharest "settle-
ment" in the New York Sun. That
the Balkan question, so often declar-
ed "settled" by diplomatic negotia-
ton is really finally settled is, of
course, open to doubt. The recent
repeated outbreaks and threats of 9TH
ers are too fresh in memory to give
any feeling of certainty as to that.
Turkey was enabled to recover
some of her lost territory after the
allies began fighting among them
selves. However, although the re-
covery of Adrianople goes far to-
ward assuaging Turkeys wounded
pride, the fact remains that as re-
suit, final as far as anything in the
Balkans can be said to be final, of
all the fighting and treaty making,
Turkey stands stripped of all her Eu-
ropean possessions except for the mar
row ribbon less than seventy-five
miles wide, lying between CONSTANT
nople and Adrianople.
From the lost territory four coun-
tries have enriched themselves and a
fifth has been formed by arbitrary
edict. Bulgaria, Servia, Greece and
Montenegro have extended their
boundaries, while Albania, which
promises to offer an interesting ex-
pertinent in state making for the COM
ing generation of diplomats to daily
with, has been created outright. Be-
sides this Roumania, as the price of
her noninterference in her neighbor's
embroglio, has received a long-covet'
ed slice off Northern Bulgaria which
has increased her coast line on the
Black Sea and considerably improv-
ed her strategic position.
Under ordinary circumstances such
territorial acquisitions would be con-
sidered, politically speaking, worth
whatever they might cost, but when
the figures are added up and the to-
tails put on a comparative basis even
politicians must question if the har-
ried, warworn lands acquired by the
victors were worth their cost. 1t is
almost impossible to realize what the
events of the last year have cost the
Balkan people.
The total number of troops the
Balkan allies could put in the field
last October, including every able
bodied male over 16 years of age, was
about $4,000. Of these more than
100000 died in battle or of disease.
The same ratio applied to the male
population of the United States would
mean the death of 100000 men in
less than year as result of war.
In money the last year has cost the
four Balkan states about $400,000.-
900, which is something like four
times the combined annual budgets
of the countries involved. Resuming
again the comparison, it means that if
the United States should make SIM
liar outpouring of wealth on warfare
a single year would cost $4,000,0O0,-
900.
But another factor must be taken
into account in estimating the cost
of this new territory. The countries
involved were wretchedly poor in the
beginning and tremendously in debt.
For twenty-five years, ever since they
could fairly lay claim to a national
existence, they have concentrated all
their efforts on preparation for their
supreme task of driving the Turk out
of Europe. During this time Bull
garia, Servia and Greece have spent
from a seventh to a quarter of their
DuQScto Oli dHu nav al
preparation. 1t is impossible for the
American mind to grasp the signifi-
canoe, politically and economically, of
such figures.
Equally impossible of realization to
Americans is the extent to which the
ordinary life of the country has been
paralyzed by the events of the last
year, during which time the earning
and producing capacity of the entire
male population has practically ceas-
ed. When the troops were mobilized
a year ago all the commercial and
agricultural life of the people stopped
short except in so far as it touched
matters.
Agriculture is the chief source OF
livelihood of all these people, and
agriculture more than anything else
has been paralyzed. Cattle of every
kind was commandeered for the use
of the army, whether it was the car