The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-10-13

mere protectorates. Turkey was al
ready an ally, with her military de-
partment in German control and her
future hopeless unless Germany could
save her from Russia and the Medi-
terranean powers.
A treaty of peace perpetuating this
situation would make Turkey-in-Asa
but German colony and Germany
could send her troops to the very edge
of Suez by the Mecca Railroad, threat
ening British Egypt. and she could
also send more troops by the Bagdad
railroad, following the route Of Alex
ander the Great to the Euphrates and
thence against India. Sea power
would cease to menace German ex-
pansion and Germany could strike at
the very heart Of the colonial empire
Of her great rival. while she would
remain beyond the reach OF Britain.
Railroad connection from Berlin to
Bagdad, from the Spree to the Euph-
rates, would make one central en-
pire, into which would be merged not
alone Turkey and the Balkan states,
but Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and
the new Poland. Belgium might for
the moment escape and France go un-
diminished. But would Belgium and
France again venture to resist the new
Central Empire, when it turned west
to take Holland and North Belgium.
thus completing the work Of round
ing out the Greater Germany SO
much in the eyes and hearts Of Pan
Germanists? Or would France ac-
quiesce, possibly receiving immunity,
a guarantee Of integrity and a morsel
of Walloon Belgium?
AS to Italy. could she hope to take
Trieste away from such a Central
Empire? Could she hope to hold it.
even If she won it temporarily dur
ing the war 1t should be noted that
German peace proposals made no ad-
vance to Italy Of any sort. With Ger
many in Dalmatia, in Albania, the
control Of the Adriatic would pass
from Italy to the Central Empire and
Italy would have to choose between
becoming. like France. a German SER
want and a struggle that could have
but one end.
The key Of this whole grandiose
German conception was Constanti-
nople. If 1t once fell into Allied
hands, then there was an end Of the
German dream. Under Allied patron
age the Balkans would be reorganiz-
ed. The Balkan states would be at
the mercy of the sea powers and the
nation that held the straits. They
would have to turn their backs on all
German proposals.
On the other hand, Allied purposes
would be best served by the develop
ment OF strong Balkan states, which
could offer permanent barrier to the
expansion south of the Danube by the
Central Empires. Such expansion
would ultimately prove fatal to the
liberties of all the Balkan states
Only Bulgarian bitterness at her old
allies and the rival claims to Mace
ldonia prevented a recognition of this
fact and joint action. Once the Allies
held Byzantium, they could recon-
struct the Balkan states and the Ger
man dream would end.
In France, Germany had come to
standstill; her campaign had de-
veloped into a permanent deadlock,
with numbers ever turning against
her. Her victories in Russia had
fallen short of eliminating the Cars
forces, but she was now able to dis
pose Of considerable force, which
might be sent south to hack it's way
through Serbia, and, through Bull
garia. plainly dallying with Berlin,
reach Constantinople. She might ar
rive before the Straits had been
forced. and If she did, she would then
be able to turn to her own uses the
huge masses Of Turks. who could not
be equipped or trained because of
lack of arms and munitions.
Such campaign might easily bind
Bulgaria. with it's Coburg Prince
and it's burning grudges, to Berlin and
enlist the strong Bulgarian army. It
would neutralize Greece, with Ger
man Queen and Germanophile King.
Greece, still at the mercy of the AL
lied navies, might not enlist, but she
certainly would send Venizelos pack
ing and end all thoughts Of taking the
Allied shilling. Serbia would be elm
mated, Albania would furnish a new