Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1915-10-27
THE ENGLISH CABINET CRISIS
AND THE BALKAN SITUATION.

THE ENGLISH CABINET CRISIS
AND THE BALKAN SITUATION.
Though it seems that the endan-
gered Asquith Cabinet will recover
from the first shocks and remain in
power, the crisis must keep on until
a decision has been reached in the
Balkans. Formally the cabinet crisis
may be ascribed to the English failure
in the Dardanelles, but the real causes
are much deeper ones.
Because of the successful German
campaign in the East and because of
the egotism of the various Balkan ma
lions, the Balkan governments are no
longer controlled by the Entente pow
ers. Bulgaria has openly gone over to
the side of the Teutonic allies, Rou-
mania has decided to continue q pol
ICY of neutrality and Greece has re-
fused up till now to come to the aid
Of the allies in Serbia, and thus to
the help Of the allies at large. This
alarming Balkan situation has arous-
ed the English people and caused the
present cabinet crisis. So long as the
political situation in the Balkans does
not take turn more favorable to the
allies, the crisis in England will con-
tinue. But it seems that there are
still some prospects for such turn
Of events.
There can be no doubt about the
sympathies of the Greek people for
the allies. But the policy of nations is
not controlled by feelings and senti-
ments but by material interests. The
government Of Greece has not seen its
way to come to the help of the allies,
because in all probability it does not
believe that such help would bring
good results to Greece.
The allies are anxious to conquer
Constantinople, with the object of
turning it over to Russia; Italy wants
to conquer Albania; but can England
hand over Constantinople to Russia
and Avlona and Durazzo to Italy with
out keeping Salonika for herself? Can
she hand over the Dardanelles to Rus
STA without being herself near the
Dardanelles? These questions are
asked by Greek statesmen and answer.
ed in the negative. If Russia gets
hold OF Constantinople and if Italy is
master Of the Albanian coast, England
must keep Salonika in one form or
another. Now, what can the future
OF Greece be if her most vital inter-
ests are jeopardized by such three
mighty powers?
Helping the allies by declaring war
on the Teutons and their allies would
mean for Greece contributing to her
own ruin. But the Greek people on
the other hand are in sympathy with
the allies cause. Thus the conflict
between interest and sympathy is evil
dent: or course, nobody can predict
which OF those two factors will tri-
umph in the end.
For the present Greece is determin.
ed not to abandon her policy of neu.
trality, though England offers her the
Island OF Cyprus as compensation
Tor joining the Entente powers. But
as long as Greece continues to observe
a formal neutrality, she must either
resist the landing of allied troops in
Salonlka or come in conflict with the
Teutonic allies. Furthermore, as long
as Greece sticks to her present unten-
able position, those allied troops al
ready landed in Salonika are being
paralyzed in their movements, be-
cause the Greek government must de-
clare sooner or later that it will pro-
hibit further landing Of troops and
thus cut off the present allied armies
IN Salonika from their supplies and
from their possibility Of getting rein.
forcements. The allied governments
must take such a possibility in con-
sideration.
or course, the Teutonic allies will
bring pressure to bear upon Greece
either to stick to the rules of neutral
lty and to prohibit a further landing
of troops, or to declare a state of war.
and the Greece government might pre.
fer to remain neutral than to 20 to
war. The Teutonic allies will certain
ly say to Greece: You cannot be neu.
trail and at war at the same time. If
you are neutral, you must not permit
the passage OF our enemies armies
through your territory, and if you con,
tlnue to do so, you are at war with us.
But as the Teutonic allies are continu-
ing their victorious march in the Balk-
ans with the object of reaching Con-
stantinople, and as Greece has not the
certainty of emerging VIGOROUSLY
from war against the Teutons, she
might lose Salonika to the Bulgarians
| if she takes issue with them.
AS matter of fact the Greece Gen.
eral Staff is Of the opinion that the
whole Grecian army, if put against the
Teutons, Bulgarians and Turks, could
in the best case stop their march fol
a while and prolong the war, but il
could not stop the march definitely
The Servian army is probably outnum
bered four to one and is already bad
ly beaten at many points. If it still
continues a stubborn defense, it il
only possible because of the noun
famous nature of the territory thai
favors the Serbians and it is only {
temporary obstacle to the Teutons ant
Bulgarians.
With the modern technique of war
fare such difficulties of territory cal
in the long run be surmounted, ant
then the big Teutonic army, the Who'll,
Bulgarian army, the most powerful
Of the Balkans, and a good part of tn,
Turkish army will face the Greek ar
my and several corps of ally troops
So there is not much chance for tn,
Greeks to be victorious if they openl.
side with the Entente powers; and de
feat for Greece at the hand of the Teu
tonic allies would mean at least tn,
loss of territories acquired after tn,
second Balkan war.
; Such is the most difficult and tragi