The Washington times., 1914-07-06
Book Reviews
BY FLORENCE E. YODER.

The Balkan Wars. 1si2-1sl3. by Jacob Gould
schrrman, published by the Princeton Uni
rersity Press, Princeton
From the standpoint Of the historian.
1t must seem highly deplorable that the
average reader will turn from the richly
romantic and dramatic facts OF history,
which may be unfolding itself directly
under the eyes. to the most effervescent
and wishy-washy of present day novels
for their literary feasts.
The abstruseness Of some historians,
or an early overdose OF some forced
history. may account for the distaste
with which the reader may scan his
tory, with an eye for drama, romance,
or thrills.
Yet history. more interesting than any
fiction. more romantic than any novel.
and more blood curdling than any de-
tective story, Is happening under our
noses today.
The situation in the Balkans Is still
a problem They are boiling and bub-
bling over there continually. The news
papers are full of the unrest from day
to day. and people read it with more
or less interest, We must frankly con-
fess less interest
Why? Simply because they can't get
next to the situation with the informa-
ton which appears from time to time in
the current periodicals. Their interest
is apathetic, mainly from the reason
comes before the Balkan states rose up
ana fell upon Turkey.
The Balkan Wars, 1912 and 1913,'' by
Jacob Gould Schurman, 4 small, handy
little volume of III pages. to be very
exact. takes the reader out of the
Greek, Moslem. Bulgarian, and Serbian
melee, which comes from reading news
papers without any previous informa-
ton as to conditions, and puts him in
the way OF understanding the Balkan
situation.
Unlike any tiresome war OF merely
two countries. the fight over the Turks
in Europe is continually popping sur
pnses. 1t is like a grab bag, and, once
informed Of the why and wherefore OF
the melee, with ideas pigeon-holed and
Balkans assumes the interest of the
Cup races, baseball. and the position
of the thermometer
There is even a temptation to take
mentally the part of one little nation
and make bets upon it, The Unrest
in the Balkans" in other words. be-
comes readable. pertinent matter.
thrilling and romantic to every red
blooded person.
Once a reader of this book one is
almost a part of the great war game, a
witness at the very least, all without
moving from the entrances of the
family ice box or electric fan.
The author is something of a prophet,
too, for at the close of the book. writ
ten when Albania was yet peaceful md
before their ruler had been bowed out.
he says:
That the Albanians themselves will
have an opportunity to develop their
own national independence, find it i'm
possible to believe. their destiny
is so inextricably entangled with the
ambitions of some of the great powers
that the experiment stands no chance
of getting a fair trial"
Perhaps you do not even know what
and why little old Albania is-few
people do. Upon the creation and main
tenance OF this small triangle of land
the peace OF Europe and, We might ven-
ture even Of the world, rests in a great
degree.
The knowledge OF how, what. and
why 1t Is, is pertinent to every think
ing human being.
1.-THE Balkan Wars Is one OF the
most profitable little volumes of the
day. from the standpoint of the reader.