Semi-weekly herald., 1913-01-30
WAR HAS BEEN
BREWING SINCE YEAR 1877

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The 1912 -bellum territorial sit
uation in the Balkans was chiefly the
result of the Turko-Russia war OF
i877-7s, which was ended by the peace
of San Stefano on March 8, 1878
Montenegro, Servia, Roumania anG
Bulgaria had previously existed as
parts of the Turkish empire.
The first three by this treaty were
recognized as independent, and Bul.
garia was to have suzerain Chris.
tian prince. Reforms were to be in
troduced into the rest of Turkey in
Europe. The treaty aroused great op-
position from the European powers
and on June Great Britain concluded
treaty to protect Turkey in Asia
against Russian conquests, receiving
the island of Cyprus as quid pro
quo.
Germany mediated between Russia
and Great Britain to prevent war and,
the three powers have come to i pre-
liminary understanding, the congress-
of Berlin (June 13 to July 13, 1879
was held to revise the treaty Of San
Stefano. The provisions of the Ber-
lin treaty followed the lines Of the
earlier one.
The territories remaining Iunder
Turkish sovereignty in Europe con-
sisted of the vilayets of Chatalja
tMutessarifat), Adrianople, Salonika,
Monastir. Kossovo. Scutari (Albania)
and Yanina. With the exception of
the Albanian vilayets of Scutari and
Yanina, all this Turkish territory has
been extensively inhabited and occu-
pied by Bulgarians, Creeks, Servians
and Montenegrins, all of whom have
been hampered by the Turkish admin
istration and have been denied politi-
cal rights in the territories.
Within the same territory also these
nationals have always found them
selves not only in opposition to the
Turkish administration, but the sub
jects among themselves of fierce riv-
airy, which has frequently resulted in
bloodshed and tributed to a turbulence
already chronic because of the inhu-
name characteristics Of Turkish rule.
The amelioration of these conditions
has constituted the Balkan problem
for many years.
An effort to establish an interna-
tional regime under the Murzsteg
agreement of 1908 fell to the ground
With the establishment Of the Turk
sh constitutional monarchy, and for
the past four years hopes for the bet
terment of conditions have been based
on the ssuppositious good Intentions
of the Young Turkish regime.
Disorder and discomfort have been
chronic and the insistence of the Bal
kan sovereign states on the introduc-
ton of reforms has been constant,
though the conflicting interests of the
powers signatory of the Berlin treaty
nave prevented satisfactory initiation
of reforms. The basis of insistence
on these has been article XIII of the
Berlin treaty, which reads as follows:
''The sublime porte undertakes
scrupulously to apply in the island of
Crete the organic law of 1868, with
such notifications as may be consid-
cred equitable.
Similar laws adapted to local re-
quirements, excepting as regards the
exemption from taxation granted to
Crete, shall also be introduced into
the other parts of Turkey in Europe
for which no special organization has
been provided by the present treaty
"The sublime porte shall depute spe-
cial commissions, in which the native
element shall be largely represented,
to settle the details of the new laws
in each province.
"The schemes of organization re-
sulting from these labors shall be
submitted for examination TO the sub
lime porte, which, before promulgat-
ing the acts for putting them into
force, shall consult the European COM
mission instituted for eastern Ru-
melia."
The Turko-Ita war in Tripoli in
evitably brought to the fore the con-
ditions in the Turkish vilayets which
were unsatisfactory to the adjacent
states. Last summer Mohammedan
Albania was engaged in revolution
against the Turkish power in the OBJ
ject of securing desired reforms. In
August the Berlin signatories--Grcat
Britain, Germany. Austria Hungary,
France, Italy and Russia-were pre-
sented by Count Won Berchtold, the
Austro-Hungarian minister Of foreign
affairs, with proposition for estab-
fishing a regime in the vilayets which
might prove satisfactory to Europe
and the Balkans.
Much discussion of the proposition
was had and Turkey announced an
intention to promulgate the law which
had been formulated in 1880, in ac-
cordance with the terms Of the treaty
of Berlin, but which had never been
executed. Later it was announced
that this scheme of reform, the work