New-York tribune., 1918-01-11
Serbia's "Window ON the Sea-

Serbias "Window ON the Sea-
Section NJ of tho fourteen conditions OF
peace set forth by President Wilson in his
address of Tuesday contains the very inn
portant demand of free access to the sea
for Serbia. This raises one Of the most
complex and interesting problems Of the
whole proposed European settlement. The
Tribupe has already set forth tho larger
aspect of the question, pointing out that
the restoration Of Serbia, Rumania and
Montenegro automatically destroys Ger
man Mitteleuropa by interposing a barrier
from the Black to the Adriatic Sea be-
tween Bulgaria and Turkey on the south
ard Austria and Germany on the north.
But the Balkan aspect O. the problem is
not less interesting.
To understand the question it is neces
sary to 60 back to the conditions under
which the First Balkan War was fought,
Ia 1912. Prior to this war and in prepara-
tion for it Bulgaria and Serbia signed
treaty of partition, by which Bulgaria re-
signed her claims to all of Macedonia north
and west Of line drawn from the inter-
section Of the old Serbian, Bulgar and
Turkish frontiers to Lake Ochrida. Serbia
under this agreement was to have Uskub,
Prisrend and all Of the Plain of Kossoyo
Bulgaria was to have Monastir and the
Valley Of the Vardar from Kuprili south
ward. In addition, Serbia and Greece ne
gotiated an agreement by which Albania
was to be divided between the two states
ON a line roughly following the Skumbi
River, from the Adriatic to Lake Ochrida.
Had these two agreements been carried out
there would have been no Second Balkan
War; Serbia would have had direct ac-
cess to the sea, with Durazzo as a port.
while most of Macedonia would have fallen
to Bulgaria.
In the course of the war Serbia's troops
occupied not only the portion of Mace
Gonia assigned to her, but also that
which had been assigned to Bulgaria. This
was merely according to military agree
ment. But when the war was interrupted
by the Conference of London, called by the
Great Powers to settle the Balkan struggle
the first condition laid down there BY both
Austria and Italy, backed by Germany, was
that Serbia should not be permitted to
have a scacoast, the reason being that
Austria held Serbia in complete economic
subservience and was unwilling that the
little state should obtain economic indie.
pendencc by having an outlet to the sea-
Italy, on the other hand was unwilling
tnat the Greeks should come north to Va.
lena and occupy Southern Albania, which
Italian policy had marked for the Sayoy
monarchy when Turkey should disin-
tegratc.
Onhapplly for the future, Sir Edwa rd
Grey at London accepted the Austro- Ita).
u ian proposal, and agreed to the creation
ct the independent state of Albania, which
was at al! times a physical, racial and re.
lIglous mpossibility and was bound to be
only catspaw of Austria and q source
cf future discord.
In denying Serbia access to .he sea Sir
Edward Grey destroyed the Balkan AL
llance, because Serbia, yielding to the
mandate Of the Powers i'm the matter of
Northern Albania, demanded as compen-
sation for her sacrifice all the Macedonian
territories which she had occupied vcst
or the Vardar River. including Monastir,
and insisted that if she were not IN ba
permitted to have direct access to the sea
she should have railroad route on her
own territory to the Greek frontier and
special commercial rights at Salonjca
which would thus give her economic inde-
Dendence Of Austria.
Bulgaria, under the influence of Austria
refused to make these concessions in Mace
COMA and prepared to conquer Macedonia
from Serbia. Thereupon Serbia made an
alliance both with Greece and with Ru-
mania. and these three states together
fought against the Bulgar in the Second
Balkan War and defeated him utterly.
!