The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-07-28
THE TROUBLE IN THE BALKANS.

A be contemphble affair, if it were confined to them But the probability of othz er nations shving their castors into the ring would be strong, Germsny to aid Austria, and Russia France, Italy and Greece to aid Servia. servia is little nation on the Balkan Peninsu la Separated from Austro- Hungary along d80 miles of border by the Danube River.
 Austria and Germany control most of the commerce of Servia, which is one of the req sons for their strong interest in the little coun-
 But servia is nation fourth-afths Slavs Thus the interest of Russia, s occasioned, which has long claimed a protectorate over the Slav peoples in the Balkan Peninsula
 This Peninsula is q very dangerous place for Europe, made So partly by the racial, relig- iOus and political differences of its inhabitants, bY the political and commercial jealousies of the rulers of Europe.
 Any trouble in the Balkans is likely to make trouble everyyvhe1e in Europe, and to an extent, everywhere else,
 The recent war between Italy and Turkey xvas conducted specifically outside Balkan ter rit0ry, but it nevertheless began the fernent which brought on war between the Balkan na- tions and then Turkey having been beaten, war between the allies, Greece and Servia against
 There are about 10000 1000 ir the penin- sula Catholics, Greek Catholics and Mohame- dans. The religious differences arc very pro- nounced From this quarrel between Chris
  slav and Pan Islam
 But these peoples would get along much better if it were not for the continual effort of the great nations to use them as pawns for profit in the game of international exploitation.
 The old Eastern question was Turkish question. It represented the fear the Turk would conquer the Christian and the desire of the nations to control the great trade routes to the East
 But as the Turkish power became mori- N-m~ H. n efn Eastern question is something very differ ent than the old Eastern question
 Austria is afraid Russia will get a trade route through the Danube and to the Mediter- rRnean and the ocean. This fear long ago turn ed Austria into the champion of the Turk and made Great Britain Austria's ally in every eff fort to preserve the integrity of the Turkish nation.
 So, after all, this great quarrel is not re- hgiouss or a political quarrel, but commercial quarrel, All the nations are afraid some other nation may get q trade advantage, and thus each nation does its best to reduce the amount of trading to be done, and in seeking profit, re- dnces the profits of everybody. Such is the statesmanship of greed.
 Tn the meantime the Balkans continue to reek with danger. Conflict between Servia and Austria may open the greatest European war of the ages. It is to be hoped not. From such war everybody must suffer to some ex- tent, even in the United States. It cannot hap pen that the energ1es Of millions of men ta- ken from productions and billions of dollars ex- pended in taking human life and destroying property without those gigantic wastes being felt in every nook and corner of the world.
 This nation, seeing these results clearly, is nevertheless quite helpless. Our policies and traditions forbid us, as President Wilson has said, from interfering in European quarrels. Any interference from us would certainly do more harm than good, unless, indeed we were invited to offices of mediation, which we are not likely to be.