THE BALKAN DANGER.

Evening Star, Issue 14997, 3 October 1912, Page 7

THE BALKAN DANGER.

DECISION RESTS WITH THE POWERS. PRESSURE ALONE CAN AVERT WAR. HOSTILE PREPARATIONS CONTINUE. .'ress Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, October 2. The 'Daily Mail's' Constantinople correspondent advises that, unless the Powers | apply overwhelming pressure to the Balkan States, the slightest incident will cause an explosion. An irade ordering a general mobilisation has been issued. Renter advises that the Turkish Government are circularising the Towers repudiating the responsibility for tho provocative attitude of the Balkan States. The British Minister (Sir G. A. Lowther) held a lengthy conference with the Foreign Minister (Gabriel ErTendi Nuradunghian). Interest centres round Rumania's attitude. The Rumanian Minister had a two-hours' conference with the Turkish Foreign Minister. i EXCITEMENT IN BULGARIA. J EVERYTHING ON A WAR FOOTING. SOFIA, October 2. The Government have ordered the suspension of goods traffic, and arc commandeering the trucks. Reserves are flocking from all quarters io join their companies. The mobilisation has caused many banks to close, and several newspapers have stopped publication. A semi-official organ, tho 'Mir,' says that the Powers, by effective intervention, can secure the integrity of Turkey and create real autonomy ; otherwise the consequences will be serious for the general European peace. A LOAN REFUSED. FARIS, October 2. (Received October 5, at 8.10 a.m.) The various banks, acting under the rtovernment's advice, refused an application by Bulgaria.for a loan of 20 million francs (£800,000). SERVIA GETTING READY. BELGRADE, October 2. The Government have stopped some ammunition which was en route from Germany to Turkey. Ninety-eight per cent, of the officers and men joined the colors within 24 hours.

MONTENEGRO IN FERMENT. CETTINJE, October 2. (Received October 3, at 9.40 a.m.) A great war demonstration was held here, at which the King and the Crown Prince received an ovation. The King sxhorted the peoplo to be patient and obedient. He pointed out that mobilisation ilid not necessarily mean war. PREPARATIONS IN GREECE. ATHENS, October 2. Advices from New York state that 800 Greeks have sailed to join "the colors. \ The Cabinet decided on a moratorinVn (emergency legislation enabling the Government bank to suspend payment of for a given period). The army is expected to total 130.CC0. The Government have commandeered eke railway rolling stock, and are concentrating steamers at Piraeus for the movement of the troops. CRETE ANXIOUS TO JOIN. October 2. The Government have informed the foreign Consuls of their intention to join Greece against Turkey. Five more -classes of militia have been called out. A later message states that it is repotred that Greece will proclaim the annexation of Crete. TURKEY GROWING ANGRY. CONSTANTINOPLE, October 2. (Received October 3, at 9.40 a.m.) The public anger is increasing, the general feeling being that it is time to finish their troublesome neighbors forever. The visit of the Rumanian Minister' to the Porte is regarded as significant. The Greek Minister has protested against Greek vessels being bottled tin in Turkish ports.

ANGLO-RUSSIAN POLICY. LONDON", October 2. Reuter announces that M. Sazonoffs (Russian Foreign Minister-) conversations with the King at Balmoral have consolidated the Anglo-Russian relations as regards the Balkans. Both Powers will continue to act in concert with the other Powers, all of whom are. anxious not to make the Porte's task more difficult by pressure. M. Sa/.ono.'t" will visit Paris and Beifn, though he has no special mission there. PRESS ATTACKS ON RUSSIA. LONDON, October 2. (Ru'eived October 5, at 8.10 a.m.! The Home newspapers attack Russia apropos of the recent mobilisation order, and argue that openly she opposes war, but secretly desires it. They ask whether Europe has no power to restrain the Balkan States from precipitate action. The absence of such influence, they contend, shows that the vaunted unity of the Powers does not exist.

A RUSSIAN OPINION. M. SAZONOFF CRITICISED. ST. PETERSBURG, October 2. (Received October 3, at 8.10 a.m.) The ' Novoe Yremya' supports the Balkan mobilisation, and disapproves of what it calls M. Sazonoff's weakness and failure. He has done nothing (declares the organ of the Bureaucracy) except talk about Persia, without obtaining any satisfaction, while the supreme concern for Russia is the Near Eastern Question. | * A GERMAN VIEW. j BERLIN, October 2. The ' Lokal Anzeiger ' considers that the chief danger lies in Pan-Slav machinations outside the Balkan Peninsula. It concludes with a thinly-veiled admonition j to Russia not to join the Slav States in i the Balkans at the risk of an inevitable European war. A CONSULTATION. VIENNA, October 2. (Received October 3, at 8.10 a.m.) The Minister of War announces that the troops in the south-east have been ordered I to adopt an increased peace footing. The Bulgarian Minister had a lengthy consultation with Count Berchtold. THE BALKAN ARMIES. A COMPARISON OF STRENGTH. The strength of the Bulgarian Army in peace is given in the latest reference book at 3,800 officers and 54,000 men, but it is stated that the field army should amount to about 235,CC0 combatants. A cable message, however, gives the strength at £OO,OOO. Serv!;?, is universal and compulj £ory, beginning at the age of 20 and going on until 40 (for the infantry). The Bul- [ garian Army is believed by English ex-

perts to bo very efficient. For years the Bulgarian Government have been faced with the prospect of war with Turkev at any moment, and great pains have been taken with the training of officers and men. A military correspondent of 'The Times,' who inspected it a, fow years ago, praised its morale, training, and equipment. \ The. peace stvenalh of the. Servian Army is put down at 55,600 officers and men. and the war strength at 110,000. Here', also, service is compulsory and universal. The army was reported by the- correspondent just mentioned as somewhat deficient in morale, the effect of the defeats at the hands of Bulgaria, in the eighties, and of the infamous murder of Kinfj Alexander and the Queen. He also said that the field training was not i-o good as it might be.

Greece has a peace army of 23,000 and ft waa- force of about 50,000. The total forces of these three countries, arrayed against the '.lurks would amount to 560,000 men. It is impossible to say how many men Turkey could put into the field against these armies. The regular army probably numbers 260,000 men, with

a reservo of 120.C00, and the auxiliary forces would probably bring the total to over 1,000.000, but ;i largo proportion of these may bo eliminated as of little lighting value, except as reinforcements in a long campaign. Moreover, the army is scattered over the Enipiio, large numbers being in Asia Minor, some in Arabia, and some in Tripoli. THE HOPE OF THE MACEDONIANS. Poor and barren as the kingdom of Montenegro is. it has always excited the deepest patriotism and an unconquerable love of freedom among its people. Speaking on one. occasion, Mr Gladstone, with his proverbial love of small nationalities, paid Montenegro a very handsome compliment. "In my deliberate opinion," lie said, "the traditions of Montenegro, now committed to its ruler as a sacred trust, exceed in glory those of Marathon and ThevmopylßO, and all the war traditions of the world." The Montenegrins have never ceased to leeognise the assistance f rendered to them by England in their struggle for independence, and the name of Gladstone is held in reverence in every shepherd's hut in the remotest mountains. His portrait, too, may be found on the wallsof wayside cottages, as it is in Ireland. In King Nicholas the mountaineers have a Sovereign whore sympathies arc entirely with thorn. He is an ii.rd.ont patriot. "My country," lie remarked on one occasion, "is a wilderness of stones; it is arid and poor; but I adore, it. And if I Were offcro-d. the whole of the Balkan Peninsula, in exchange T would not consider ihe bargain for one- instant."' THE BUTCHERY AT KOTCHANA. Renter's correspondent at Uskuh supplied the following details of the massacre, early in. Auaust last, at Kotchana. which roused the. Bulgarian* to a white heat of resentment, and became the final cause of the present demand tor war: On the morning of Thursday last (August l'l Kotchana was lull of people, a.s it, was market day. About half-past 10 a.m. an

infernal machino exploded 'in the bazaar near the Khan Khalil Agha. This explosion killed five Bulgarians, (two men, one woman, and two children), as well as two Mussulmans, two Israelites, and two gipsies; the number of wounded has not teen ascertained. Five minutes later a second explosion took place, and the panic became indescribable. Bands of Mussulmans now appeared, armed with guns, revolvers, knives, and clubs, and began a wholesale butchery of Bulgarians. This went on for three hours under the eyes of tho authorities and of the Mussulman notables. Troops then made their appoarancc, but instead of apprehending the murderers they began a nousc-to-house search ior Bulgarians. The search continued till nightfall, the apprehended Bulgarians being driven to prison with their hands tied behind their backs. At midnight a few of these prisoners were released, the rest being locked up. The number of killed is reliably estimated at about 140. Next morning the courtyard of the Bulgarian church presented a heart-rending spectacle, more than 100 dead bodies being laid out. During the confusion a good deal of pillaging was done by the Mussulman mob, and under

this head also the losses of the Bulgarians were heavy. As was to be expected, no arrests have been made, except among the innocent Christian victims. Allowance has to bo made for the fear and fury of the Mussulmans, who were naturally'and justifiably angry at the. havoc worked bv 'the bombs, but if the authorities had intervened the frightful excesses which followed could never have taken place. WHAT ALBANIANS WANT. One of the sharpest thorns in , the side of Turkey, the Sick Man. of Europe, in Albania. As a result of Turkish tyranny the Albanians now demand : (1) The appointment of an Inspector-General for the four Albanian provinces; (2) the adoption of regional military service for Albanian recruits in time of peace; (3) the'taxes levied fo.r educational purposes in Albania to be spent locally: (4) a general amnec-ty i'or Albanian political oil'enders; (5) the Albanian language to lie the medium for instruction in all Government schools; (5i the houses destroyed during tho recent lighting to he rebuilt at the expense of the Government. l)r E. J. Dillon, in the Lou-don 'Daily Telegraph,' nays that "Russia cannot regard a collection of autonomy to the Albanians without previous careful analysis of its inevitable eifects upon the political .-situation in the Balkan Beninara" If Albania receives autonomy, whethelegislativo or administrative, o'r ljoth. and the new autonomous State or Province be taken to include. Xovi Bazar and Usktib, then Servin. Bulgaria, and Montenegro will all be .stirred to their depth,-,, and may have recourse to desperate acts. The consequent <-ri.-fiitisfact.ion would be'.4 powerful and so irrepressible that 'ie.st ibility would become chronic in the peninsula, and the maintenance of European pence precarious. For those reason,-, if is of paramount necessity- that the Porte, in its present rieaotiations with the Albanian leader?, should eliminate the territory in ' question from the. projected autonomous province."