New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-04
Turkey and the Widening Circle
Of This Devastating War.

Turkey II e enters into the war; VIII GRAVY
wiaan the area Of hostilities. The Balkan states
win almost certainly be thrown into turmoil oy
their historic enemy's taking up arms once more
Greece, Rumania and perhaps Bulgaria. having
almost driven the Ottoman Empire out OF Europe
cannot fan to be alarmed and impelled to action
by the temperance Of the Turk ON the heid as
an ally OF Teutonic powers hostile to the Balkan
slaVs aspirations. And Italy, just settled into
possession Of Turkeys Tripolitan dominions' can
not regard with cOmposure the possibility OF Iur-
key as neighbOr in Egypt
The hostile forces which Turkey will invite into
the European struggle are so great that the Kaiser
must count rather upon the ability OF the Sultan
10 stir up "holy war" among England's Mahom'
etan subjects in India aud Egypt than upon the
direct aid that Mussulman troops can give in
Europe by creating a diversion upon Russias
southern border. What the prospects OF "ho4y
war; are no Western critic can definitely say. 1t
Is one Of those things which have always threat
ened but which have not materialized. But that
might also have been said Of general European
war until Just now. Englands troubles in Europe
naturally make her situation in India and Egypt
difficult, and her danger there will be increased
by the presence Of a MahOmetan power among
her enemies and by active Indictment Of the Turk
ish Sultan The peril may bring Japanese troops
into India and perhaps non-Mahometan Indian
troops into Egypt.
Thus the circle of the war threatens to widen
The balance in Southeastern Europe and in the
Mediterranean is so delicate that the entrance of
anv one power into the contest tends to throw
other powers in it on the other side. 1t is not
any more easy to tell where the avalanche Will
stop when one stone starts than it was to foresee
the extent of ruin and desolatioD that would pro-
coed from the quarrel Of Austria with Servia.
Germany seems to be gambling desperately i'll
urging Turkey, with what promises of territorial
COMPENSATION no one knows to attack England
and Russia. Is Italy's assistance conceded to be
out of the question, that Germany should array
with herself recent enemy of Italy's alongside Of
Austria, whom Italy hates? And how can the
Turks engage the attention of Russia to an et-
fective extent when Turkeys appearance in arms
will be a signal to the warlike Balkan States more
powerful than herself, to array themselves for
battle too? And If the Kaiser succeeds in ranging
the abhorrent forces of fanatical Mahometanism
upon his side, how can he expect to have the SYM
patty OF the neutral Christian nations of the world!
And If he accomplishes the spreading Of war to
Asia he will certainly bring Japan closer to the
general conflict, surely not an expedient thing to
do. There is obviously no moral advantage in an
alliance with the abhorred Turk. And in material
way the Kaiser seems likely to lose as much as he
will gain.
II Is a reckless, cynical and wicked thing to
widen the circle Of this devastating and shameful
conaict 1t is wide enough as it is to make us
feel that, as Kipling says "al we have and are"
lies IN jeopardy, that all the long centuries have
brought us faces destruction including the sus'
tanning faith in the power of civilization to put
the darkness Of barbarism forever behind us. The
pride of the human race in itself is devastated by
what has been done already, and the Kaiser who
might have saved Europe, now appears plotting
to drag half dozen more nations into the mael-
strom Of war and to ally himself with the fanatl-
cism Of Asia If he values American public opin-
ion he viii let the Turk alone. If any of the con-
testants in the present struggle value American
public opinion they will not bride any Of the
nations now neutral to precpitate themselves into
arms Those who wish to enjoy sympathy and
respect upon this side of the Atlantic will bend
their efforts to keep destruction within its present
circumference.
A Splendid Charity.