TWO BALKAN WARS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8270, 15 October 1915, Page 7

TWO BALKAN WARS.

, CAINS AND LOSSES. BULGARIA'S DISAPPOINTMENT. The two wars which followed the formation of the Balkan Alliance in 19ii4 hud such an important influence on | tho Balka States in the present, crisis -that^ they are • worth reviewing. ' The idea of a Balkan Alliance had boon discussed since the treaty of Berlin. The nearest approach to unity was probably made in 1891 by M. Tricoupis, who used to be called; "the permanent Premier of Greece." Then/came.the Turkish ' Revolution, the banishment of Abdul Hamid, the setting up of a new Constitution. It seemed to have promise of genuine reform, but the innate character and tradition of the Turk soon disappointed the hopes of wellwishers. ,A terrible chapter, as black as anything in Turkish history, opened in ; Macedonia, where the Turkish authorities acted with ruthless cruelty. Once again, as in Scriptural story,i there arose a cry from "the man from Macedonia," saying "Come over and' help us!" At first the cry was answered by co-religionists, and tho friendly interest of Bulgarians and Greeks gave the Macedonians a new hope. • „...-. A notable step was . taken in the spring of-1911j when M. Venizelos sounded Bulgaria as to whe.ther she would, enter into an agreement with a view to stopping the Macedonian oppression. The war which Italy waged in Tripoli deepened the interest of the Balkan countries ih; an alliance, for ;they ll''-.realispd:'thißi^.new:V-9ion.^ipMVvoi' rriddernwarfare calledfor'closed ranks-.■'•; The■'■■'first''.definite. allianbe, was bet\yeen Servia and Bulgaria, sighed \on March. 13, 1912. x Soon afterwards' came the compact between Bulgaria and Greece. In the words of the correspondent of "The Times" in the Balkan Peninsula, "ihe man who made the league was M. "vluzelos." The present iKihg.shared with-, the late King of tho Hellenes the 'knowledge of how affairs were tending, Mnd in London the Greek Minister, M. GennadiouSj'was in touch with the developingcrisis. In consequence of their treacherous attack upon, and her defeat by, S'er>tia< and Greece, Bulgaria gained very little in proportion to her expenditure of life and treasure. The total additions'made to the subjects of King Ferdinand by .the Treaty of Bucharest, if the inhabitants of the Dobrudja, which was annexed by Roumania, be' subtracted.was less than half.a million. The total population of Roumania before tlie Treaty of Bucharest was 7,248,061.. The addition made by the Jreaty was 285,757..: Sex-via's -'inhabit-. ,'ants before the. annexation of the territory conquered from Turkey was 2,957,207,.: to which the new possessions added 1,210,000; Montenegro had 285,----000 souls all told during, the Balkan campaigns ' ,and :receiyed 230,000, more ait the"peace. Greece contained in all only 2;732i952' inhabitants . before the Conference of ißucharest, to.;which were added 1,620;000 more by the Treaty.; An estimate of tho losses sustained by the to the two wars in the |Balkans maybe tabulated as follows:

Killed and Cost in Money. Bulgarians ' 140,000 .£90,000,000 Servians 70,000 50,000,000 Greeks 30,000. 25,000,000 Montenegrins 8,000 800.000 Turkey . 100,000 80,000,000 Totals ... 348,000 £245,800,000 ■■• ■ ■ i