Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1915-09-13
THE BALKAN TbRMOIL.

war were Ine eyes Ol European stdlei
men turned so anxiously on the Ba
kans as they are at preesnt. Th
multitude OF the dispatches, state
ments and denials that are sent ou
from every political center of Europ
with regard to the policies of the Bal
kan peoples at the present junctur
make it quite clear that on these pol
icies may depend the outcome of tn
European war. Russia needs badl
free passage for her exports and i'm
ports through the Dardanelles. Il
spite of the many sacrifices on tn
part of the allies and in spite of tn
courage displayed by the French anC
English troops fighting against thu
Turks on the Gallipoli Peninsula
they have been unable to penetrate
the Turkish lines. 1t became quite
clear to the western allies that with
out additional aid of the Balkan peo-
Piles they will not succeed in crush
ing the Turks.
The Italian declaration of war
against Turkey must of course in
fluence the Balkan nations regard
ing the attitude of the allies. Lon
don has become very hopeful, and
an Italian newspaper has been able
to report the concentration of 1907
600 Bulgars against the Turks.
It rs very difficult task to unite
the Balkan nations. One need only
think of the efforts of the late Won
Hartwig, Russian minister in Bel
grade, in this direction. One must
further think of the distinct antag-
onism of interests even now existing
between Italy and Serbia in order
to recognize the difficult task of
uniting the Balkan nations. The
Balkans are not a Slavonic territory,
but they are inhabited by non-Slav-
onic majority, though the Roumani-
ans claim that they are not a Balkan
people at all. From the racial point
of view it is very difficult for the
Greeks and Roumanians to join
Balkan league, the master of which
will be Russia. Besides, the petty
quarrels and strifes lasting for CEN
turies between the semi-savage peo-
pies of the Balkans can not be
turned suddenly into mutual friend
ships, not even with the help and
under the pressure of great powers.
Thus indeed it is very difficult to
understand how the allies are going
to surmount these tremendous obsta-
cles.
Willie it is very difficult to unite
the Balkan peoples, it is much easier
to divide them, and therefore the
opinion prevails in well-informed po-
litical circles that the Teutonic allies
will be more successful in their eff
forts to divide the Balkan peoples
than the allies in their efforts to
unite them. In proof of this allega-
tion the fact is mentioned that Bull
garia has accepted the Turkish offer
with regard to the Dedeagatsch rail-
way, thus granting Bulgaria an out
let on the Aegean Sea. Sofia and
Constantinople declare officially it
has been agreed upon that Bulgaria |
should as compensation observe at |
least benevolent neutrality. If |
Bulgaria does not come in on the
side Of the allies, Greece and Rou- !
mania will Consider it well before
they decide to join the new crusade. !
There is, of course, no reason to
believe that Bulgaria is led in her
actions by ethical reasons. She has
1nly her own egotistical interests in
view; she has been striving for the |
last two years to make good what
she lost in the second Balkan war.
The allies were unable to induce
Greece and Serbia to make conces-
;ions to Bulgaria, thus compelling
Bulgaria to turn to the other group
VI powers.
The Germans are striving to con-
lect Turkey with Hungary by the
way of Serbia and Bulgaria. Only
this connection is established the
Germans will be in a position to ma
erialize their colonization plans in
lsia Minor and thus utilize the Bag
lad railway in a proper sense. But
'aradoxical as it may sound, it is
evertheless true that even Serbia
would profit by the realization of
hese huge Teutonic plans, because
hey will help Serbia in becoming a
owerful competitor of Italy on the
.driatic.