WILL THERE BE WAR? AUSTRIA AND RUSSIA.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 41, 18 February 1908, Page 7

WILL THERE BE WAR? AUSTRIA AND RUSSIA.

STARTLING ACTION. AND THE PROBABLE OUTCOME. By Telegraph.— Press Association.— Copyright, (Received February 18, 7.35 a.m.) LONDON, 17th February. The Daily Telegraph Vienna corres. pondent reports that it is expected that startling action will be the outcome of the Novibazar railway incident, which, he says, threatens to re-open Austrian and Russian rivalry regarding tho Danugian and Balkan policy. He adds: "If Baron Aerenthal, Aus» trian Minister for Foreign Affairs, pursues his plan without satisfying Russia war in the Near East is am ultimata certainty. SERVIAN DEMANDS. "' WHERE GERMANY PROBABLY COMES IN. BELGRADE. 17th February. The whole of tho Servian press demands the construction of a railway across the Balkan States, from the Danube to the Adriatic Sea, via Servia. A universal protest is made against the proposed line Novibazar, in Bosnia, for which Austria has obtained * concession from Turkey. It is alleged that this project is merely a disguise for a< scheme intended to secure German predominance at the expense of the Slavs MOVEMENT OF TURKISH TROOPS. RUSSIAN FORCES CONCENTRATING ON THE FROJNiIER.' (Received February 18, 9.8 a.m.)'' ST. PETERSBURG, 17tb February; It is stated in St. Petersburg that dying to the movement of Turkish. troops, Russian forces are concentrating near the frontier. . ,' RELATIONS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND AUSTRIA, AN IMPORTANT CONCESSION. "The relations between Russia and Austria have been disturbed owing to th© latter obtaining an irade from tha Sultan to construct the Novibazar railway. It is feared the trouble will mean interference with concerted action in regard to the enforcing of reforms in Macedonia." So- ran a cable message published in The Post on the 14tli inst. But it would appear from subsequent advices that the hanging up of Macedonian reforms, in regard to which there has been much talk and little practical action, is not by any means tho most serious aspect of tha jeylousy that exists between Russia and Austria in regard to the Balkan. Peninsula. No doubt the concession that has been granted to Austria, is an important one, for the Novibazar district, through which the railway will run, has an area of 7350 square- kilometres, and in addition it must ba taken for granted that the building of tha lino would enhance in Bosnia (whera Austria, under the Berlin Convention, is allowed to maintain garrisons and administer provincial affairs) the prestige and promote the general interests in the Balkans of tho Empire of Franz Josef. CHRONIC RESTLESSNESS. The States of the Balkan Peniusula. ever sinco the practical disruption of EuropeanTurkcy after the war of 187778, have been in a chronic state of restlessness. Those who desire tho repose of Europo have hoped against hopo that the now communities which were foundod or extended oil the ruins of the Ottoman dominion in Europo would ba willing and able to keep thopeaco'anaong themselves and to combine in restricting the intrusion of foreign • These speculations have ooen loo' frequently disappointed. Sorvia has more than onco been tur&od into a shambles, the Bulgars have committed outrages which cry out to heaven for vengeance, Roumania is a hotbed of conspiracy, and Macedonia, where the Powers have long recognised that reforms are absolutely necessary, gous from bad to worse. And now two ot tha Powers most intimately concerned in the welfare of the Peninsula seom. inclined to turn it into a "cock-pit." In tho circumstances, it is not strange that Sorvia as 'ono ■of tho Balkan Slates, should put forward a scheme of its own — i.e., for the construction of a railway across tho Balkan Status, from the Danube to the Adriatic Sea, and by way of Sorvia. Jealousy make for unreasonable demands, and the Serb is sometimes jealous and often injudicious.' It must not bo forgotten, either, that Novibazar is on the border of Servia, and that a railway /ivom tho Danubo would run right across the country of Pctor Karageorgovitch. At the same time, as will be shown tuither on, the rumour that German diplomacy has not been idlo in Ihis connec- • tion cannot be overlooked. A STRIKING COMMENTARY. It is a striking commentary oii tho present attitude of Austria that in October last that country and Russia in conjunction instructed their representatives at Belgrade, Sofia, and" Athens , that neither Servia, Sofia, „npjr .ftreeca should obtain territorial advantage hum the action of bands who have' been in the habit of raiding Macedonia. .This step was the outcome of a visit p&id by King Edward to tho Continent, and it was hoped that something practical would hav-Q resulted, but the trojibla between the two Powers from whom much might have been expected crushes nil hope of anything tangible being accomplished in the near future. • ONLY GROUND FOR CLAIM TO A CONCESSION. The only ground on which A'r.tria lias any semblance of claim rot.o t. concession in Bosnia is tho fact that the province was by tho Treaty of Berlin (July 13, 1878) handed over to the Austro-Hungarian Government for r.dministration and ' military occupation. The direction of the administration of the provinco is exercised by the Bosnian Bureau, entrusted to the common Aus-tro-Hungarian Finance Minister in Vienna in tho name of tho EmperorKing. But possession is nine points of tho lawi WILL THERE BE WAR? Last yoar an anonjonous writer published a book witb startling headlines, such as "War During the Present Year," "Austiia the Ogn> of the Balkuns," "Fascinated Under the Benign Smile of Germany," "The Police .as Mnrd«rers," and "Germany Behind tho Assassin*. •* The author claims to have written with • an inside knowledge of Balkan affairs, j

and among other things he stat-ed: "All through the Balkan peninsula the weak are to-day being crushed by the strong. The Austrian eagle has overshadowed and grasped Bosnia, she has her talons into Servia, and is casting covetous glances upon gallant little Montenegro. On the other hand, as pait of the secret policy of Christian Germany, in her advance southward, the poor defenceless Macedonians are being daily outraged, murdered, or burned alive — the true facts being always suppressed, and the news scarcely ever being allowed to leak out — while the Kaiser every day lifts his eyes to heaven, implores the Divine aid, and consigns the rieainipo <>t vis empire to the direction oi me almighty." To Germany's diplomacy at the Sublime Porte the writer attributes the present state of Macedonia, for "beyond all doubt she secretly aids Greece and abets the Greek bands in their nefarious works of outrage, murder, and extermination." SIGNIFICANT. In the light of these so-called revelations, the meeting at Swinemunde last August of the Kaiser and. the Tsar was significant. It was then stated that Austrian diplomacy was trying to create jv new Dreikaiserbund aiming at a monopoly in the Near East, and the natural inference was that the meeting of the potentates >was to concert measures for the blocking of Austria and the advancement of Russian and German interests. The present situation may easily be iruitful o'. trouble.