The Auckland Star WITH WHICH ARE INCORORATED The Evening News, Morning Nwes and The Echo. MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1908. GERMANY AND THE BALKANS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 250, 19 October 1908, Page 4

The Auckland Star WITH WHICH ARE INCORORATED The Evening News, Morning Nwes and The Echo.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1908. GERMANY AND THE BALKANS.

I For the caute that lack* assi»tanee. For the torong that needs resistance, ■ For the future in the distance, An 4 the jrtod that toe can do.

Any of our readers who may have fait that we have occasionally taken too pessimistic and distrustful a view of j foreign diplomacy in general and of German diplomats in particular, must have been, finally disillusioned on glancing down our cable columns to-day. When Bulgaria declared herself independent, and Austria seized the opportunity to annex Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany at first attempted to dissociate herself from Austria's policy. The German Ambassador officially informed the Porte, on behalf of the Kaiser, that "the events in the Balkans have occurred without Germany's opinion having been previously obtained." Austria, it is true, claimed that she had secured Germany's adherence to her unprincipled scheme of spoliation beforehand, but not only did the German official journals deny this, but tn"ey criticised in the most scathing terms the quibbles and evasions by which Baron Aehrenthal tried to prove that Austria's action in the Balkans was anticipated by Turkey, or approved by the Powers. So friendly and conciliatory was Germany's bearing toward Turkey that so lately as Wednesday last, a huge patriotic gathering of Turks at Constantinople included Germany in a vote of thanks passed to England, France, Italy, and Russia, for their kind offices on Turkey's behalf. But in a moment Germany's attitude seems to have undergone a most remarkable transformation. For we learn by cable to-day that the Kaiser has congratulated Austria on the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and has even promised the help of three German battalions for service in Macedonia if Turkey should dare to resist this barefaced robbery by force of arms. It is, perhops, superfluous to comment upon the shameless cynicism of the Kaiser's message. We must not forget that for the last ten years, and more especially for the last five, Germany has persistently posed as Turkey's guide, philosopher, and friend. German officers have reorganised the Turkish army, German financiers have restored Turkey's credit and have received liberal concessions from the Sultan. At a time when every civilised country in the world rang with horrified protest against the Armenian atrocities, the Kaiser addressed the Sultan as friend and brother. Three months ago the German ambassador, yon Bieberstein, was supreme a-t the Sultan's court, and the foreign policy of Abdul Hainid was practically dictated by the Kaiser. But the end of all this came with the revolution and the displacement of the corrupt tyranny of the YUdiz Kiosk "camarilla" by the Young Turks. Perhaps the most significant feature of this marvellous transformation has been the public transference of popular favour and confidence in Turkey from Germany to England. It is to England that the Young Turks have always looked for help and sympathy, and as soon as the success of the revolution was assured, Germany recognised in»it the downfall of all her hopes. Needless to say, Germany's exploitation of the Sultan has been entirely sel?interested; and now tha-t Abdul Hainid has thrown himself into the arms of UTS people and stands at the head of a united and patriotic nation, prepared to resist all foreign aggression alike, Germany has had to readjust her Balkan policy as speedily and radically as circumstances would permit. The Kaiser, so lately the "friend and brother" of the Sultan, and the self-styled patron and | protector of the Moslem nations, is sud-1 denly converted into a menacing foe. I Nor is the reason for this metamorphosis far to seek. So generally is it admitted that th» suocou of the Young

Turks was a death-blow to German ambitions in the Near East that both in England and on the Continent the Germans have been openiy accused of instiAustria and Bulgaria to the course they have taken with the object of embarrassing and discrediting the Young Turkish party, and, if possible, overthrowing the new regime. This may or may hot be true; but the suspicion of collusion between Austria and Germany is certainly strengthened by the extraordinary step the Kaiser has just taken. And hopeless as it is to expect careful insistence upon rigidly moral principles in the sphere of "world's politics," we believe that even the case-hardened diplomacy of Europe will recoil in disgust from the revolting mixture of treachery and effrontery displayed in Germany's last "volte-face" in the Balkans.