Many of the news reports of the days predict the forthcoming and inevitable general war because of the actions in the Balkans. There are many references in this article to the coming greater conflict.
THE
FALL OF ADRIANOPLE
The fall of Adrianople brings
peace in the Balkans within sight. While it will tend to stiffen the necks of
the Bulgarians, it will leave the control of the situation more definitely in
the hands of the European Powers, with whom the Balkan Allies will now have
directly to deal.
The speech of Sir Edward grey
in the House of Commons, with the equally firm and confident statement of the
British Premier, shows the spirit in which the task will be met.
The Balkan Allies may persist
in the demand for the indemnity. It will hardly be conceded. For one reason,
because there is no precedent for a defeated Government giving an indemnity and
surrounding territory not yet conquered. And, for a second reason, because the
holdings of the French and English and German banks in the Turkish debt would
practically be wiped out by the addition of an indemnity.
With a settlement in the Balkans,
general peace may be regarded as reasonably secure. The chief difficulty, of
course, is the peculiar situation and the peculiar temper of the ruling class
of Germany/ No doubt it seems to be the
German Government that the vital interests of the nation are gravely menaced by
the changes of the past six months. There has grown up in the Balkans a serious
military power the future afflictions of which it is impossible to predict. It
is possible – some German publicists think it is certain – that this power will
act with Russia, and that, with or without Greece, there will be formed a strong
Slav alliance which will complete the circle of probably hostile nations with
which Germany will have to fight for its very existence. Against such a combination
the Triple Alliance would be weakened in Austria-Hungary by the large and more discontented
Slav element in its population. It might be further weakened by the
indifference of Italy, with its new empire on the south coast of the Mediterranean
to defend, to the larger needs of the Alliance. In such a situation Germany
would be left with far the heaviest burden on her own shoulders, with the
Triple Entente arrayed against her and with her partners crippled, or worse.
This is the reason for the desperate measures of preparation for war on which
Germany is embarking.
But reasoning of much the
same sort was used a month ago as to the course of Russia and Austria. It was
said that the interests of Austria were sp deeply involved in preventing the
Balkan Allies, and especially Servia, from gaining a foothold on the Adriatic,
that she would soon fight to gain that end, and that as soon as Austria took up
arms Russia was bound to do the same. Nothing of the sort has happened. Servia
has withdrawn her claims under the advice and even pressure of Russia. The two
great Powers have halted on the very brink of a conflict that threatened a
general war. It is not unreasonable to hope that Germany and Russia and Great
Britain and France will find a means for a like understanding. And the nearer
Europe gets to actual fighting the more likely it seems that an agreement of
some workable sort will be reached.
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