Evening star., 1920-06-13

" " reminders of the multi
plicity of powder maga-
zines which the various settlements
have created or perpetuated in the
east and southeast of Europe.
1t seems to me that the new eastern
question has a real menace and an
unmistakable Importance for Amer
leans
The old eastern question was rela
lively simple, despite the fact that its
details plagued European statesmen
for a century. From the fail of Ma
poleon to the rise of Prussia, Great
Britain undertook to bar the road OF
Russia to the Golden Horn and to
the open sea-that is. to the Medlter-
ranean. This British policy. which was
based upon the idea of supporting the
Turk. preserving the disintegrating
Turkish empire, led to the Crimean-
war in which France quite foolishly
fought on the British SIDE. IL very
nearly led TO war again twenty-odd
years later. when Russia. having
overthrown Tui key. again reached Inc
Sea of Marmora and came within SiSht
of COnStantInopie itself.
Peace was preserved by virtue OF
Russian consent to lay her case be-
fore a European conference, but that
conference. held at Berlin. saw the
complete disappointment of RUSSIA
and marked the rise of Germany 70
complete mastery on the continent
Bismarck having framed an alliance
with Austria Hungary. the two pow
ers henceforWard stood unitedly In
Russias pathway, while Britain. nav
| ing taken Egypt and controlling tne
SueZ canal. lost interest in CONSTANT
nople.
Thfrty-Six Years of Rfvairies.
From the congress of Berlin to the
assassination of the archduke. thlrty-
! six years later. the history OF the near
| east is a report of the rivalries pc
tween Austria and Russia. each seek
! ing control of the Balkans. In TINS
struggle Bulgaria was for a moment
! the servant of Russia, but very short
! ly changed sides. while Serbia became Z
f; the soldier of the czar. RUSSIA unoel
! took to protect Serbia and Montene-
gro against Austria, thus barring
! Austrian pathways to Saioniki anu
J the Aegean. Austria. with germany
behind her. supported Rumania ans
! Bulgaria. thus barring Russia ianu
! approach to Constantlnop,e. n;.ion
| too. drifted rapidly into the positioi,
! of an ally of Berlin and OF vienna anu
| German influence at the Golden Horh
| completely supplanted British
| But in 1912 there came sudaen , !,
change in the situation. Inc ba1aa" 10
states joined in ,ishad coaltioi, asa TURK :
! KEY and completely extinguisnea Iuin :,
ish mower in Europe. The buisariall
| troons reached the Chatalja lines near
tConstantinople. the Greek troops .,. en.ereu
Sa!oniki and Serb forces took Mohas.l'
and occupied all of northern Aipan,a.
Here was a direct defeat for all or the
iAustro-German hopes. for potn ~
| Vienna and in Berlin there had peen '.e :
| Icxnectation of an eventual EXPANSION "
Constantinople and beyond. "neiG
| MANY was building the Bagdad railway
an eventual challenge to Britain III III
Gia and Egypt. ,ra.
The Balkan war had, too. been pre-.
l ce6led by a contest between ltais any
Turkey. which had resulted IN 'ne r;on, i.M,
Aegean islands Thus italy. an any o
Germany. had struck Turkey. also
German ally. The blows thus denvere.
to Austro- German hopes were sever
Moreover, as England. France any - -
sia narticularly the two latter, tenoee
to support the Balkan states. II pecams
"a matter of utmost importance LOT GeI
many and Austria to separate tne Pal.
kan alliance and this was accompilsneo
by denying Serbia her conquss.s II, -;,t AZ
bania and thus leaving the Serbs WIZ
the choice of fulfilling their agreement
with the Bulgarians and turning oVel
Macedonia. thus having nothing TO sno"
for their victory and insisting upon
rev division. ~.
second Balkan war followed. But TINS
! war resulted in a Serbian victory. nui'
raria the soldier of Germany ana AUS
trta. was terribly beaten Moreover
Rumania intervened against 6ulsaSie
and took as a reward the southern Do'
hrudi ia. Serbia retained all of Macedonia
Greece made further gains. the resui
was that Serbia emerged with ner aIef
and populat ton doubled and her appeo,'
!stimulated Henceforth the Serbs openH
plotted to wrest from Austria the soutn
ern Slav lands, while Rumania looket
with increasing earnestness upon Hun
earian lands inhabited by Rumanians.
World War. n Result.
Out Of this impossible situation th'
world war came less than year a1te'
the treaty of Bucharest had ofnclaii!
terminated the second Balkan war
Now, it will be seen from this hast.
! review that the old western question
was the result of the clash of policies
! of great powers. Russia moved 10
ward Constantinople and encounteret
| first Britain backed by France in th'
Crimean war and then Austria backed
by Germany. The small Balkan states
were little more than the pawns O
l
of 1912, when they joined nahos am
attacked Turkey.
| Today, by contrast. the new eastern
question is, a question affecting oni!
the smaller powers. 1t Is true ina
Constantinoplc is in British nana
and that British domination at tht
Golden Horn has aroused a measure
of nrotest in Paris and even in Rome
hut IL is unlikely that this circum
| stance will lead to an open break De
tween the present allies, moreover II
the end. some sort of internationa
control or more probably SURRENDER
to Greece will eliminate the Cohstah
tinople dispute. In reai'tg ~.
eastern question begins at Prague am
Vienna. instead of Belgrade ant
| Rucharest. and is dispute betweer
| several tribes actually dweliihs II
the region between the German from
tier and the Aegean.
Review Of Disputes.
Starting at the north, Czechosiona
kia Is involved in quarrel Win 70
land over Teschen: recent dispatches
have reported rioting anu nus,
| clashes between Czech and Poiisr
| troons In the same way there have
heen many conflicts between Czecf
and Hungarian troops. since the mag
lyars refuse to recognize the cessiof
Jof the Slovak highlands to the Czecns
Bad blood also exists between Ins
| Austrians and the CZechs because
some q O0O. 900 German-speaking Aus
trans have been included within the
limits of the Czechoslovak state
Finally. to cap the climax, bitterness:
has developed between the Czechs
the Slovaks and the Ruthenians; tha'
Is between the three Slav elements
whicb inhabit the new state; such i:
the situation Of Czechoslovakia.
AS to Austria, in addition to the
unarrel with the Czechs. the mutilat
cd fragment of Austria finds itself a