The Washington times., 1915-06-16
THE BALKAN FRYING PAN

Inc trouble WITH Bahama Is CnaC
it is so full of national aspirations"
that 1t is almost impossible that any
of them shall be realized save by the
rejection of others. Every one Of
the little countries wants to be-
come great country with thought
of one day being dominating one.
There simply isn't room for all of
them to get what they want; and if
there were room, there would be
created new Balkan situation. as
complex as ever and with the pow
ers involved in it so much bigger
than formerly that they would be
harder to manage.
Roumania, with eight million peo-
pie now, wants four or five or even
six millions more handed to her,
along with large slices of territory,
in part to be taken from Austria
and in part to be ceded by Russia. "A
Roumania of twelve to fourteen mil
lion people would overshadow Bull
garia; so Bulgaria demands another
slice Of territory in Macedonia, with
Adrianople, taken by her in the first
Balkan war. Serbia's national as
pirations demand Bosnia and Herze-'
govina, from Austria, and slice of
Albania, with a comfortable out
look on the Adriatic. Greece wants
islands in the Egean, a piece of AL
bania, and some territory on the
coast of Asia Minor.
But meanwhile, what shall become
of Constantinople? That is the real
capital prize of Bahama; and SEEM
ingly nobody quite dares demand it
Greece would indeed be Greece re-
stored if she could get It. Its pos
session would in a twinkling recover
the glory that would cause her per-
fervid orators to label Venizelos a
Pericles returned. But Bulgaria has
reasons not to want Greece to take
the prize. Russia has had a water
ing of the mouth for centuries,
whenever she has thought Of ancient
Byzantium and the Golden Horn,
opening out on the mid-world sea
whose shores have seen the march
Of civilization through the cycles of
history. Russia cannot get to Con-
stantinople without encroaching on
Bulgaria and Roumania. 1t is prob
able indeed that her present reverses
have brought Russia to know that
Constantinople is not for her now;
she needs the aid, not the enmity, OF
Roumania just now. Not improb.
ably, indeed, the necessities of hel
instant military situation may have
induced her to join, as it is reported
she has done, in the agreement Of
the entente powers on Roumania's
terms. Her presence at Copstanti
nople would likewise be menace t.
Greece and by no means welcome t.
Italy. On the whole, then, it seems
altogether probable that at leas
tentatively the entente countrie.
have agreed on the naturalization o.
Constantinople, and that the Balkan
states have accepted this plan.
| But even for Russia to resign il
favor Of the national aspirations
of the little countries, would no
much reconcile the rest of the diff
culties. Turkey is yet to be ejectet
from Europe. Albania has its own
aspirations, and is not easily to b,
set aside; carved up and distributes
among Greece, Serbia, and Italy i
would be a sore spot, perhaps TO
more centuries. The remnant O
Turkey in Europe, the fragment
torn from a conquered Austro- Hun
garian empire, the bits conceded b.
Russia, would have to provide tn
prizes for all contenders; and al
must have prizes. 1t is a probler
not only of getting the Balka
states into the war now, but O
, keeping them out of war later; an
it is just about the most Difficult
. business that diplomacy has had O
{ it's hands since the fateful days 9
last August.