THE BALKAN SITUATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 303, 19 December 1912, Page 4

THE BALKAN SITUATION.

One of the most striking features of the presemt situation in the Balkans is the increased activity on the side of the Turks, and their evident recovery from the condition of apathy and despair into which their disastrous reverses had thrown them. It is asserted that, taking advantage of the armistice, the military party at Constantinople has gained control of affairs, and that a new army of a quarter of a million is being rapidly organised. This is not improbable, for Turkey-has a large recruiting ground in her Asiatic Empire, and, no doubt, one cause for her failure was lack of time to draw upon-these resources at the outset ot the. Avar Moreover, the Bulgarians not'only paralyzed the Turks, but astounded the military critics of Europe by the vigour and celerity of their movements. The latest English files show that, in the opinion of the leading British and Continental military cxpertsr the great turning movement, round Kirk KMssc,. which compelled the Turks to change tbeir front, and. manoeuvred them completely out ot their original petitions, was one of the most striking and effective pieces of strategy carried out in modern warfare. But the smashing blows that the Bulgarians delivered at Kirk Kilsse. and Lule Burgas, and their Miibsequent rapid advance upon Adrianople and the Chataldja lines naturally had the effect of exhausting them. Operating over a 70-mile front wRh only 350,000 men, their best hope lay in driving home their initial advantage." This temporary ces sation of hostilities has allowed the Turks to realise the comparative weakn«3ss of the enemy and the natural strength of. their own position; and, under the circumstances, it is easy to understand the desire of the Turkish Commander-in-Chief to fight again. On the other hand, while the Turks are more bellicose than before. tTie danger of interference on the side of Austria or Gemany seems to be decreasing. The Viennese Press is protesting indgrrantly against the precipitancy of the Government in spending many millions in mobilisation, when apparently it was well known that the trouble with Servla >vaa sure to be settled peacefully. The Servians, on the other aand, are more Insistent than ever that they must secure access to tho Adriatic, and they have ci i n gone the length of appealing to England to occupy tha two Adriatic ports they claim, pending a final settle-

ment of the dispute. It as hardly likely that England will allow herself to be dragged into the Balkan "embroglio" for S_rvi__ sake. But the incident shows how closely the interests -of-__-the great Powers are- involved in this dangerous struggle, and how serious is the risk that a failure to agree on tejrms of peace may be the prelude to international complications on a far larger scale than anything that the Balkan crisis has yet developed.