New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-18
Balkan Failure Points Need
Of New Diplomacy in Britain
Member of Parliament Says Statesmen Have Been
Trained in Ways of Peace and Have Failed
Under Stress of War Conditions.

and inspiration OF the Aentrdl Lulopt
group. Yet. just as certainly as Ger
many dominates her group, so does
Great Britain dominate the Allies. Sne
has swept the seas clear with her navy.
she finances Russia, France, Italy, Bel
GUM and Serbia, as well as her colo
MES; she carries on a great war IN the
Dardanelles, another war IN Mesopo-
tamia, and she sends her armies %
Flanders, France, Serbia. With her
reputation for integrity. justice AMI
the rights OF nationallties, she ough,
particularly as she pays the piper) to
call the tune of the policy Of the war.
Yet this is Just what. for some obscure
reason, she does not appear to have
done. In the extraordinary absence Of
official statements il is hard to be qui-e
certain of all the facts, but the position
in the Balkans may be taken 10 show
that Great Britain does not appear -
have taken the lead she should, and has
not developed policy adequate for the
issues.
1t is strange, one Of the obscure dis
appointments of the war, that British
diplomacy could not bring the Balkan
states into line, compose their petty
jealousies. settle their nationalist aims
by mutual concessions and adjustments
and so revive the Balkan League Of
Christian States against Turkey. Was
il that there stood in the way "A ira
ditional fear of Russia, who was
credited with desiring ConstantinOple
for her own? Was it that Russia and
Serbia, her active allies, were not
ready either to let Britain act for
them as honest broker? Was il that
Britain left 10 her Allies TO lead the
negotiations in matter which she
could best have acted herself? We're
there other and deeper obstacles? Or
were the terms offered to Italy for her
support in the war such as 20 upset the
delicate equilibrium Of the Balkan bal
ances?
II ia unnecessary TO give an exact
answer, and though a very near guess
might well be ventUred, it IS enough to
point out that the Balkan policy Of the
Allie. has not been strong. clear and
decisive. If it had been firm and sound,
Bulgaria would not have been in a
position TO mobilize without her inten-
tons being well understood. Policy
and war in the Balkans have not
marched quite j. step for the Allies.
Are New Leaders Needed?
Have the Allies, or rather let it be
asked, has the British government real
lied enough that if a general has his
chance and fails, he ought. as a rule.
not 10 have another. but should make
way for new commander. Scrap
your generals until you get one who
IS victorious" IL good policy on which
to 90 in giving the higher commands.
Moreover. a quickly raised and rapidly
trained citizen army appears TO need
generals Of another type than those
who have grown old in TIE routine of
a standing army.
There are men in England to-day
asking whether for our newly raised
armies the old ge er..ls are the light
leaders. Is a ne type Of man wanted
to command a new type Of army?
II is. Of course. obvious that in GER
tain directions the Allies. and espe-
cially the British. have shown great in
tellectual strength. The dispatch Of
the British expeditionary force TO the
Continent in August, 1914; the rapid
raising and training Of citizen army
of millions in a few months, the CON
troll and harmony throughout the en-
pire, which includes great free repub-
lies like Canada and a great Oriental
dependency like India; many aspects
Of British naval activity. including the
record as yet untold Of her measure
against German submarines all these
show how powerful minds have worked
out new intellectual problems.
But still the feeling grows that the
Allies do not fail either in their mum
bers Of men. in their equipment nor in
mC ney. OF course, the number Of re-
cruits and reinforcements must be
maintained, the supplies of munitions
must not fail. and money must be
saved. raised, spent and then supplied
again. But Britain needs mind. method
and policy 70 secure her victory Brit
ish statesmen have been trained in
paths Of peace. and the British state Is
organized for peace, not war. Their
empire is unlike Germany, which is or
gained from the first equally for peace
or war. British policy may, therefore,
be developing more slowly, and British
leaders may have CROPPED after, rather
than grlsped, their policy. But when
order and method. the fullest gifts Of
mind. are added to the resources Of
men. munitions and money, the victory
Of the Allies cannot be much longer de-
layed