New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-16

west bank Of the Nardar. Her greater al
lies could not coerce her
Finally Rumana was by no means pre-
pared 20 see Bulgaria strengthened, since
Bulgaria was her one Balkan rival. To
enlist Bulgaria and throw Rumania into
the camp Of the Kaiser was unthinkable,
particularly in view Of recent Russian de-
feats and Of the fact that the Teutonic
Powers were Offering Rumania Russian
Bessoraba as the price Of joining them.
From May 70 October. then, the Balkan
game has been a perfect reproduction Of
the once familiar Pigs in Clover"
puzzle. Greece, Bulgaria or Rumania
might be had But only AZ the risk Of
driving the other two into the opposite
camp The situation was further compli-
Gated by the fact that the kings Of the
three states were wholly Teutonic in their
sympathies.
In addition, during all this time the war
had been steadily going against the Allies.
In May Russia was at the Carpathians'
In October she was east of the Niemen.
The Allied operations in the West had
made no progress. For months the strug-
gle at the Gallipoli peninsula had been a
drawn battle Nothing had happened to
convince the Balkan States that the Allies
would win. Their sovereigns and their
soldiers were satisfied German success
was certain.
Finally, having contented herself for
months with playing 70 keep the Balkan
States out Of the war, Germany deter
mined 10 go south. Thereupon she offered
to Bulgaria all of Serbian Macedonia.
Serbia was her enemy and she could do
ii. She promised 70 use her influence at
Athens TO get Kavala and Drama for Bull
garia. and she was able 70 promise Greece
Albania and the 4Egean Islands, because
they were in the possession of Italy
another foe. Lastly, she promised to
give Rumania Bessarabia for Bulgar
Dobrudja-and if Rumania declined the
prefer Bulgaria recognized that vic
torious Germany would compel Bucharest.
Thus Bulgaria was promised by Ger
many all that she had asked of the Allies
and they were unable to give Even more,
under German pressure Turkey yielded
the west bank of the Martha, gave Bull
garia the railroad to her own Kgean
port The Turks also dismantled the
Adrianople forts and made promises to
surrender Kirk-Kilsseh. Not unnaturally,
Bulgaria sold in the best market.
Bulgarian entrance might have been
expected TO enlist Greece, but it failed
because the Allies were at the critical
moment unable to throw into the Bal
kans an overwhelming army and their
prestige had suffered terribly from their
failure in the Gallipoi peninsula. In eff /
feet, they asked Greece, practically un-
aided, TO take on not alone Bulgaria, but
Turkey. Austria and Germany, with only
Serbias small force and a few corps of
French and British troops in addition.
What cause for surprise can there be
that the King of Greece declined? Why
should any one desire TO initiate Albert
Of Belgium at the present hour? Veni-
zelos was willing TO take the risk. He be-
heved the Allies would win. He believed
that if they won Greece would get her
share in the spoil OF Turkey and the SUI
premacy of Hellenism in the Near East
would be assured But Constantine pro-
posed to take the promise Of his brother
in-law, the Kaiser, who had saved Kavala
for Greece after the Second Balkan War,
and stay neutral.
This is the story Of the Balkan negotia-
tons The Allies failed because they
could not meet the German price TO Bull
garia They failed because the Russian
disasters shook their prestige and the
Gallipoli deadlocl; weakened their hold
upon Balkan confidence. Their failure in
the diplomatic struggle seriously compro-
missed their military situation in the
Egean. because they had depended upon
the Greek army to stand off Bulgaria,
while Serbia faced the Austro-GerNans /
and held them until Allied troops could
be sent.
It is exceedingly difficult to believe that
the Allies could have won in the Near
East automatically unless their armies
on the eastern and western fronts had
been successful Sofia, Bucharest and
Athens read the Official reports and made
up their minds accordingly But since
the Allies could not escape the battle and
since they have lost it. no one can close
his eyes to the fact of the defeat.
On the other hand, il is easy to mag
Nifty the thing into a great disaster, and
this it emphatically is not. The war will
be won on the eastern and western fronts.
The conquest OF Serbia and the opening
Of the Berlin Vienna Constantinople rail
road Will not materially affect the situa-
ton. Napoleon went to Egypt to destroy
the British Empire but his own fortunes