The Washington herald., 1915-09-23
The Balkans.


will attack Serbia within the next seventy-two
hours. Whether this represents the triumph OF
German diplomacy that Berlin regards it de-
pends entirely upon what happens after that.
Greece is bound by treaty to go to the aid of Ser
bia. Treaties do not count for much nowadays
but all the symptoms that Greece must do her
part. For she, we'll as Serbia and Roumania,
holds territory that Bulgaria was deprived of by
the treaty of ST. Sophia and the latters belli
against Serbia is would soon be equal excuse
for her attacking Greece.
The assistance of Greece is compensation, as
far as the allies are concerned, for the hostility
OF Bulgaria, whose army is two and half times
the size of that Of Greece, to say nothing of
superior fighting ability and equipment. Strategy
cally however, the disparity is to extent made
up by the fact that with Greece in the war the
allies have direct railroad route into Serbia
through the port of Salonki. 1t is possible that
the Bulgars could this railroad but if the allies
let them they deserve all the trouble that will re-
suit to them For England France and Italy be-
tween them could throw $4,000 men into Serbia
in few days But the allies have not been dis
tingushing themselves in the present for
forehanded strategy they would have been in
Constantinople long ago, and it will not be mat
ter OF great surprise it they conine their efforts
to diplomatic exchanges until Bulgaria has her
troops we'll the Southern border of Serbia
and across the Salonki-Belgrade Railway.
If Bulgaria accomplish that purpose and
Roumania remains neutral Serbia's plight will be
a sorry For the only other way by which
supplies and re-enforcements can be sent into
Serbia is the mountain roads-if indeed they
can be called roads-through Scutari and Monte
: iS ~. tbe
that have elapsed since the Serbians retook Bel
grade the allies have constructed some sort OF a
railway over this route or at least built high
way that will carry motor transport But here
again the allies notorious unwngncss to meet
trouble half way-or any way until it strikes them
with dull thud-inclincs one to the belief that
nothing of the kind has been done. 1t is rumored
that there very considerable French and British
troops in Serbia but this is almost certainly not
the case. few batteries of British ~ guns and
some French aviators are probably the sum total
OF foreign forces in Serbia.
But will Roumania remain neutral2 She too,
in what Bulgaria regards as the spos
wrenched from her by the treaty of St. Sophia. A
strong Bulgaria insures her having to fight sooner
or later to retain the Dobruja, and possibly to
have to fight with Austria we'll as Bulgaria.
Roumania is much more civilized country than
Bulgaria and much more peaceable and while she
has certain national aspirations in regard to Bulk
owina, Bessaraba and Pennsylvania she has never
been ready to join the fray just for the sake of
realizing these desires But because she has stead
y refused to permit the central empires to send
re-enforcements and munitions to Turkey through
her terrtory-her sympathies being with the allies
she has incurred their enmity and would have it
to reckon with when the time came for Bulgaria
10 attack her. Roumania has an army half as large
again Bulgarias and though it has seen no serv-
ice for many years it is reputcd to be the best
equipped small army in Europe. So hopeless would
Bulgaria's case be if she should be attacked by
Greece and Roumana at the same time-not to
mention possible landing by an allied army at
kavaa-that one is strongly urged to the concu-
sion that Bulgara's sudden access of belligerencv
IS due to the conclusion of an understanding with
Roumania that the latter country is to remain
neutral. But if Roumania is ready to be found in
hat gallery why does she not simply throw open
he doors and allow German re-enforcements and
German munitions to pass through her territory
10 the anxious Turk
We can only state the problem not solve it.
But there is every indication that we shall be
provided with the solution in the course of a few
lays. The spectacle OF the Balkan nations at
peace when there chance for them to be
1t war has been almost uncanny and a return by
hem to normal conditions will be a relief-to
newspaper editors if to no one else!