The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. TUESDAY, MAY 6, 1913. THE BALKAN CRISIS

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 107, 6 May 1913, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

TUESDAY, MAY 6, 1913. THE BALKAN CRISIS

For the cause, ikat Zocfcs assistance, For the wrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance,. And the good that we can- do.

The most Important . development in tho European.si tuatiorii since the fall o£ AdriaiKiple iV tlic decision of Montenegro to withdraw from Scutari. The capture of that position gave the Montenegrins an advantage that they were not likely to surrender except under compulsion, and nothing but overwhelmiug pressure, remorselessly applied by the Powers, could have .produced the desired effect. But though Montenegro faced the emergency bravely enough, it would have born rjuicklal policy to stand out too Jnnjr ag.iinst the threat* of the Triple Alliance ;ind tho .warnings of her 'best friends. Apparently King Nicholas has held his ground, and his government is with him; for the Cabinet, on learning this fateful decision, promptly resigned. But the Council of War which controls tho movements of the army realised tho futility of armed resiet-ance to Austria, backed as she would be by Italy and Germany. At the c-ame time there id little doubt that Russia and the other members of the Triple Entente have indicated to Montenegro clearly enough that if she will only yield to the will of the Powers, it may be -possible to secure for hor material compensations to offset this great sacrifice. The Montenegrins are naturally not in a lit frame

ot mind to consider the question dirfpnssk>n*tely, but in all probability, if uiey bad not withdrawn from &.-uuri, AuJ!-

wia. vi least, would have attempted to eject Lhnrn by force. For the sake of the world's p«i<-e, therefore, it. is well that. Montenegro haa adopted this course, aad l!*s Lhus thrown -the responsibility for the v.-h<.lo crisis upon the Powers to whom it rightly belongs.

For no on* wIIQ has studied the Eastern Question In tho historical records, or who has followed intelligently the recent course of events in the Balkans, can doubt tbat the Powers collectively are responsible to-day, as tlipy have been for nearly half :i century, for the critical position of affairs in the Near East. Nothing but their mutual jealousies and suspicions induced them to tolerate the existence of the Turkish tyranny so long. For their own selfish ends tbry hold back Orecre and Bulgaria for many years, and prevented them from freeing Macedonia. They have sacrificed Macedonians and Armenians to the cruel vengeance of the Turks just as deliberately as they once sacrificed Creeks and Bui-

I frarians. And when at last the Balkan States, having gathered strength and I joined lia-ndtf against Tiirkpy, are on the point of sweeping out of existence tho tyranny that ■had *o loiig oppressed them and their brethren, tho i'owors have once more intervened. I>ut< Turkey is so badly beaten that the Powers have no i longpr even the pitiable excuse tbat it !is necessary to maintain Turkey afi an in- | doprndmt State tn preserve the balance :of power in Eastern Enrope. Yet though the original pretext for their interference, which lias been held to justify I such disastrous blunders as the Crimean j war and the Treaty of Berlin, has now 1 vanished into thin air. the Powers none 'the less arc resolved to plake what proj tit they tun out. of tlio necessities of the j gallant little States that have wrested I their freedom from Turkey at so heavy ' a cost. The coercion of Montenegro by i the -Powers seems to us one of the most Ldisip-aerful episodes of modern history. - 1, But this may tie only the first step in a {policy which, unless present indications jarc entirely misleading, is likely to ! thTow an even more lurid light upon, the fundamental insincerity and dishonesty of '-world politics." and the calculating cold-biooded selfishness of the Powers.

; If the treatment which Montenegro I has received from the Powers docs not (alone appear tn justify these strong terms, let us consider for a moment the case of Albania. Early in the conflict between the Balkan Allies and Turkey it became apparent that" Servia and . Montenegro both desired to extend their boundaries at Albania's expense. T!i<> Servians naturally demanded thnt Old Servia— the northern district of Albania, , and the original cradle of tbeir race— should be handed over to them; and the Montenegrins liavn never concealed their intention of annexing 6cuta.fi. What answer did the Powers make to these ] demands? Thoy iiifonned the Servians I and -Montenegrins thai the rights of Albania must be respected: that the 'Albanians bad a fair claim to freedom, and independence; and that -Europe -would not consent to see Albania's racial and religious and national prejudiccs-sefcaside merely to suit th-e convenience of the Serb- Sta-U-s. The heavy obligafioa imposed upon the Powers to sccuxei freedom And independence -for Albania -iras the thßiiio 011 whiuh thfti-Ambassadors constantly dwelt.;, and onr own Sγ "Edward Grey was foremost in expounding its moral beauties. And; alow "whatds the outcome oi all tiiis-'bigh-fiowm-Tbetoric? "A message-from Paris," we read inroor cable columns to-day, "states that there are evidences that Atrstria and Ttaly-eon-i template the pacification of Albania by the establishment of spheres of influence. <A message from Some states that an I Italian expedition for co-operating Tvith j.Austria in Albania is being got ready." ,And so, in a short time, the Powers--propose to secure for "Albania thedegTee of "freedom and independence" that

China, and Persia, and .Morocco enjoyed when they were compelled to accept the iniquitous "sphere of influence" system, and su-bmit themselves to European control.

There setuiie to 'be no doubt that Aus- | tria s.nd .Italy—of course, with Gerjaiiany's connivance—are now contem-plat-ing- what our cables term a.n Au3troItalian invasion of Albania.. •Wβ may console uunselvee, if we please, with the assurance that Kngland would never be a party to tliis abominable project. But can Kngland prevent it; and is she prepared to take the eerioite riske involved in forcible intervention; No doubt if Bngknd and France and Russia wore to declare that they would use the whole of their combined strength to defeat the nefarious *o!i<\mris of the Triple Alliance, the Balkan StsUra might be left to work out tlieir own salvation in their own way. But. remembering what happened five years ago when Austria annexed the horder provinces, and how Germany's tlrreat of instant war at once quelled the remonstrance*; of Huenia and France and Kngland, we may 'well doubt if the members nf iho Triple (Entente will do more than remonstrate- now. However, tliore is tttill one hope for the Balkan States, and that lice in their own courage and patriotism. Already there »re cigns that the evident determination of the Powers to devour the Balkan peoples

"liko a lfittuce, leaf by leaf," is tending to heal the breaches that mutual rivalries had produced between the Allies. Rulgrtria has given up Salonika to Oreeee. and this is a most significant concession; the Greeks, hav'.ng settled their difficulty about Southern Albania and Maoedonia are now on amicable terms with the Servians: the Monteuegrins anil have aj-reod to make common cause with the 'Albanians and to aid them in building up an independent State. Taking all theec things into account, we may reasonably infer that pressure from without is welding the Balkan Allies steadily into a strong homogeneous Po*rr. But. more than this, the Turks arc now reported to bo on friendly terms with tbe Buljjari«n.«, and it is by no means inconceivable that Turkey may yet come into die Balkan Alliance, and join hands with all the other Balkan States to defend tbr 'Peninsula against the common cnenry. For the Turks know quite ae. well as the Allies that they have- nothing to hope for from- the Powers, who are working solely for tbeir own. «nds; and it m:vy well be that in their extremity they may throw themselves into the arms of the Bulgarians and help to consolidate a greater Balkan Alliance, ■which not even Germany and Austria and Italy in conjunction would rashly venture to -provoke.