The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-11-26
THE FATE OF TURKEY.
Will Probably BE Definitely Settled
by Present War.


Has the hour of doom for the
Turkish empire in Europe. perhaps
even in Asia, struck at last? Can II
survive the shock of this last war
into which the Young Turk party,
instigated by Germany, has hurried
it? We have on our hands," said
the first Car Nicholas, when he visit
ed the English court after the Anglo
Russian entente of 1884, "a very
sick man" But the sick man has
been, like Charles II, a long time
dying. All the resources of inter-
national medicine have been employ
ed to prolong his life. One power or
another has felt obliged to keep the
Turk at Constatinople. Last of all,
the German emperor has convinced
him that Codlin's the friend, not
Short. So he strikes blindly at his
old enemy, Russia, and her new al
lies, regardless of the possibly fatal
consequences.
For a century and a half. indeed,
ever since the treaty Of kuchuk-
Kainjairi was was signed between
Russian and Turkey in 1774, the
doom of the empire of Suleiman the
Magnificent, has been freely predict
ed. Probably the prediction might
have been more quickly fulfilled but
for the number of claimants to the
spoil. Europe was no longer threat
ened by the Turk as it was in the
fateful years following the victories
of Mahomet II, but his fighting pow
er made him still formidable. Nor
were European jealousies altogether
responsible for the tenacity with
which he clung to the remnant Of his
conauests. Racial and religious con-
ditions in the Balkans have had no
small share in the perpetuation of
Turkish rule. The history Of Bulgar,
Serb, Greek and Albanian is COM
plicated and obscure, but the
present situation cannot be we'll un-
derstood without some knowledge Of
it. When the Turk first arrived in
the Balkan peninsula he found it di-
vided by strong antagonisms among
four races and three churches. Long
before that the Slavs had been over
whelmed by the Bulgars. The con-
quered absorbed the conqueror, just
as the Saxon absorbed the Norman;
but while England became one ma
ton, there has never been, perhaps
there never can be, unity among the
people of the Balkans. The Germans
do not now hate the English worse
than the Albanians hate the Serbs,
or the Serbs the Bulgars. One after
another has tried to establish a set
tied rule, but it has always been
eventually overthrown. Hatreds that
have survived the menace of the
Turk may we'll be called ineradica-
BILE.
There is nothing surprising, there
fore, in the fact that Bulgaria. might
have joined with Turkey for the de-
struction of Servia, or Greece with
Servia for the destruction Of Bulga-
ria. Nor, although Russia is reckon
ed as Slav power, is it difficult to
understand why the Balkan countries
might as lief see the sultan as the
car at Constantinople. They are
still essentially Byzantine, and their
position cannot be understood unless
this fact is kept in mind. If union
among them were possible, that
would be the best solution Of the
eastern question. 1t should not be
forgotten that Bulgaria, Servia and
Greece have all made remarkable
peace since the treaty of Berlin, and
that Albania might have done equal
ly as well under equally favorable
circumstances. But even such great
man as Stambulov could not work a
miracle in the face of common dan
ger. There was every reason for
harmonious action after the first
Balkan war. Nevertheless the Sec
ond war followed. It is fair to as
sumo, therefore, that the Balkan ma
tions will not prove an insuperable
obstacle to Russian ambitions if the
Turk is defeated in this latest strug-
gle and Constantinople is prize of
war to the victor.
At no previous stage of the inter-
mittent conflict has Russia been ap-
parently so near to the accomplish
ment of her long desire. The posses
sion of Constantinople and the COM
mand of the sole outlet to the Black
Sea, are, of course, perfectly legiti-
mate objects of Russian ambition.
Since the war with Japan they are