Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-16


rapidly in case Of need as far as Sofia,
while at 500 kilometers around Con.
stantinople great belt would as
sure the defense between the Black
sea and the Mediterranean As for the
line from Saloniki. II would follow the
valley of the Nardar far as Uskub.
and thence toward Mitrovitza. near
Novibazar. to the foot of Bosnia. IT
would traverse the rich provinces of
lower Macedonia, and would be the
strategic route OF ottoman corps
which should operate against Serbia.
Two extensions We're foreseen. one to-
ward the historic basin of Kossovo.
the other inclined TO the north in the
direction of the Serb frontier.
The Society of Oriental Railways re-
manned Austrian until the crisis OF
190S-1so9. which was mark
Austrian ed by the annexation by
Austria Hungary of Bosnia
ooAIioA. and Herzegovina. 1t was
then transformed into an Ottoman
ciety, but this was only a change OF
etiquette. for the directions have never
ceased to emanate from Vienna. The
congress of 1878. which crushed the
sovereignty of the Turk in the Bal
kans, specified that the rights of the
the peninsula should be maintained.
The more formal emancipation of Bull
garia. the autonomy administrative ac-
corded to the province of Philippopoli
Changed from oriental Rumelia). re-
spected the contract OF the "OrientauN.
The congress of Berlin in 1873 is the
first diplomatic step of the Germanic
push toward the east-the famous
Drang mach Osten. Bismarck. who was
the supreme inspirator. desired then
only to keep alive in the Balkans the
jealousies of Russia and Austria, in
order to reserve to Germany a tranquil
liberty in the west of Europe; he
strove therefore to keep Russia out or
Constantinople and also Bulgaria.
which the Russians had adopted by an
error of judgment which they are pay
ing for now. Error all the more in
comprehensive that the Bulgarians are
not Slav by origin but distinctly Hun.
The mistakes of diplomacy are almost
certain to be paid for dearly.
Austria took upon herself the task
of the German drive in the Balkans
and the porte abandoned 10 her the
administration of Bosnia Herzegovina,
peopled largely by the Ioueo-S'av.
Austria established special regime
over the province of NovibaZar, cor
ner slipped between the principality OF
Serbia and the Serbs of Montenegro.
route passable for =, railroad which ex-
tended to the plains of the Save to the
line Saloniki-M and easily to
the rivers: the descent of Austria thus
to the Aegean sea was easy. Austria
profited by this situation to push
forward her navigation lines on the
Danube, her railways to semlln. IN
front of Belgrade. This condition lasted
until the return to power OF the
karageorgevitch in 1903.
In the treaty of Berlin Germany and
Austria caused the insertion of an
article STIMULATING that after the con-
clusion of peace the four interested
states-Austria, Serbia. Bulgaria and
Turkey-would concert in order to
join their railroads in the Balkans with
those of the rest of Europe. That ac-
cord was named the conference OF
four" 1t was signed at Vienna in
1882. and was completed by q treaty.
By virtue of that act there was con-
structed two lines. One left Bellova.
passed through Sofa and penetrated
Serbia; it ran to Nish and Belgrade.
entere, Austria Hungary, and. ira
versing the Save, reached Budapest.
The other. running from Nish south
along the valley of the Serb-Morava,
crossed he Serbo-Turk frontier at
Ristovatz or Zebeftche. rejoined near
Uskub the valley of the Nardar. also
the line already constructed and termi-
mating at Saloniki.
The work of joining the roads--com-
DIRECT communication WAS thus as
sured between Vienna and Saloh1ki.
between Vienna and Constantinople;
with embranchment. at Nish- sg-gs
v
These new railways dsquieted the
Ottoman government, for the facilities
of communication placed
Turkey Was the Balkan principals
ties under the depend
of W
aspirations to Saloniki were well
known. How prevent the menace of an
Austrian army from passing through
Serbia with the aid of these railroads.
The Turk had the idea of constructing,
parallel with the coast of the Aegean
sea, a railroad exclusively Turk-De-
eagatch. Adrianople, Constantinople
and Saloniki.
A French company was charged with
the construction of the above roads
under fife name of the junction Sa-
loniki- ConStantinople." The line ira
verses the rich districts of Macedo-'
mia, Nanthi. Drama. Series. reputsd
for their excellent tobacco and where
there is now planted cotton 1t leaves
in the south the maritime, cities of
Port Lagos and Kayala. 1t was COM
pieted by two short lines which em-
branch in the interior on the lines or
Observation-Disclosures nople and SalonilSi-
U-sl<ub permitting from ConStap tinople
to Serbia a direct circulation without
the rounda bout way from Dedeagatch
and Saloniki.
In the last years of the nineteenth
century a company with German capt
tai constructed a line from Salonikl 10
Monastir; Austria has constructed rail-
ways from the Save toward the bay OF
Cattaro. on the Adriatic coast. passing
to Serajevo. capital of Bosnia to Mostar
rt.Na Il Of n
tria Hungary the coast of Dalmatia,
where only Slav and Italian are spoken
In northern Serbia and Bulgaria on the
line which connects with
Pievna and Tirnova two embranch-
ments go toward the Danube TO join
the Rumanian roads: one to Niropolis.
the other to Roustchouh. That road
(Bulear) which attains Narna pierces
also the Balkans at Sofia. thence runs
toward the southwest. gains the Serb
frontier at Egri and Palanke and thence
arrives at .MolSub. These roads We're
completed only in the summer of 1915.
and under conditions which have not
been definitely esta blished. Other roads
have been projected which are to open
ways to southern Russia and Rumania
and give, access to the Egean sea,
When the actual war commenced the
Serb International service coincided
with the ''Wagon-Lits" of central
Sofia -Adrianop1e, Nish -Saloniki and the
Junction also Bucharest -Constantsa
Black sea. The service Sofia
varna -Pievna, the Danube-Adriatic and
their various communicating lines were
only projects which have been deferred