The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1913-11-06
Mexico and Others.
A GRANDSON,

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Greater than the Mexican question
question to the chancelleries Of Europe,
it might seem, would be the Balkan
question. Though we saw something
Of comedy in the hating Of the allies
for truce, at the diplomatic sugges-
ton OF the powers, when the Turks
were being swept back upon Constan-
tinople, what has followed has been
the tragedy which was then feared. A
part Of the tragedy, as Of the comedy,
was the consent of the allies 10 the
Truce. In the revelations concerning
the diplomacy Of that great blunder,
which must soon begin appearing, it
may be seen that the initiative was
taken by the Turk, and that the sultan's
government was able to force united
European action only through Austrian
pressure upon the German kaiser. The
mystery surrounding the granting OF a
truce by the allies may never be ex-
planned. No explanation can be found
for it in politics, and certainly none
ever will be found in military tactics,
The effectiveness OF the allied armies
had surprised the world. In their
united military strength, in the mobil'
ity of their organization, in their equip
ment in every branch Of the service,
the allied army was a revelation to such
as had not kept in some touch with
what the Balkan countries had been
doing.
1t is possible now to see that in
cluded among those who we're badly
informed were the officials OF the
European governments. Concert Of
action among them would have made
the war impossible. Such a concert
would have been had if it had been
known that the confederation could
put into the field such armies as it
did, ard win over such an army as
the Turk had, such series OF smash
ing victories. AS soon as it grew
clear that the Turk was doomed to
defeat, and that Constantinople would
fall out Of his hands, the proposal Of a
truce reached the allies. Had it
come from the Turkish government
alone, and not been backed by others,
it is not at all likely that the warlike
peoples Of the Balkan Peninsula would
have granted it. Conceding this,
however, does not lessen surprise that
they should have granted it, no matter
what the degree or source Of the pres
sure. There was but one open way
for them to follow and that was the for
ward one. In Constantinople they
might not have been able to resist the
powers in making a permanent occu-
patton, but they would have been at
a point Of vantage from which they
could have compelled terms and con-
ditions much better than have resulted
from their stop in a victorious march
These times, in fact, present no
more melancholy picture than the one
now seen in southeartern Europe.
The Mexican situation does not nearly
equal it in horror, or in subversion and
perversion oi justice. The Turk has
now regained, without fighting, fully
half Of the territory lost to Bulgaria in
the early part Of the year. Feuds and
iealousies among all Of the despoiled
allies are resulting in wars beside which
the one in Mexico is civilized and
humane. Albania is fighting Servia.
Greece is fighting sporadically, but is
much more regardtul Of the rules Of
civilized warfare than are the purely
Balkan peoples who, justly enraged at
the manner Of their betrayal, are falling
upon one another because unable to
fall upon their betrayers. Cities and
and towns are burned when captured,
the rights Of neutrals and noncombat-
ants are nowhere respected within the