THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY OCTOBER 24, 1912. THE BALKAN WAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15132, 24 October 1912, Page 6

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY OCTOBER 24, 1912. THE BALKAN WAR.

',: The rapidity With which; blows are * struck;by belligerent States is one [- ofi the r ;chffii-aeteristics , of", modern r wars; it is being accentuated by the i, constant advance in telegraphy, in '■ transport - and tin ;observation 1-; methods; an :' advance ia > not ' confined to the more civilised countries, but is to be observed I "in every part of the world. The Balkan peninsula, once the seat of ! the highest' civilisation, is'; now-the least ! civilised "and -most/backward part of" Europe, but even in the Balkans modern military facilities are in general use. : Railways have there '■■ been constructed with ■ a view to military as well as commercial use. Steamers ply on the navigable rivers and along the coast. -Roadmaking has been neglected by. the civic government, but has had Borne attention from the military authorities. The armies t of the various iftates, .like the armies of the , Sultan,, are. provided ; with modern ■■■ rifles, \ \ modern field guns, wireless telegraphy and aeroplanes, with bicyclists as well &d with motor (Jars as well, as horse and bullock teams. A century ago armies moved slowly and military manoeuvres' were consummated ' with difficulty. Even the most rapid , campaigns dragged' for- months and wars were prolonged for many years. With the - employment of modern weapons and modern appliances, the forcing ■ of definite- conclusions to •' military . struggles for - cupariority h soon.became shortened. . An important- factor, jin this shortening is < the crushing cost t pr : maintaining a modern army in,the' fields/ :Thc.time * hag long gone by when an\rmy could " "live on the country" although th? Germans made a worthy attempt to - do so .when - they, invaded France. The cost of modern war is so stupendous that many critics regard it as an excellent guarantee of Ultimate international peace; Not one of the States involved in" the Balkan ■■ war J is rich; l Serviaand Bulgaria,-Monte-negro arid Greece, are in a chronic condition of. national penury*, while Turkey is in the same'flight: v The necessity to force the : fighting" is pressing upon. ' aU the'' combatants, and with the means of doing so at their disposal the struggle can hardly belong: drawn.' " From^the! first outbreak of hostilities a feverish activity * has ' b\een ■ displayed. Only a few 1 days have elapsed, but there is every ; l ya. pitched battle- will soon be 'fought.'' Gne^pitcheb!"battle ; 'will;not decide the final issue of the war Hut may easily indicate its prospects" * . . \:Most of. - the news ;given to the from the -seat, of. must be regarded as both unreliable" ana misleading. : : The - frontier has been crossed by the allies at many points and they have thus whatever advantage may attach to the role of invader., . Servians and Bulgarians press upon* Turkey "from the north, Montenegrins from the north-west! and.Greeks from the south-west. In! many cases these invaders are actually in friendly> territory, for they re- J present ' the; cause of \the Christian against tho ■ Moslem, and European! Turkey is a land of antagonistic' races and creeds.. The' Malissori' of Albania, for example, are 'Christians! : and bitterly hbstilfetb the- Porte, and] we may accept--with; confidence the: report- 'they 'are 7 welcoming ■ the | Montenegrins. Most of the 1,500,000! Albanians, however, are Mahomedan and these are invariably reported to i resisting the Montenegrin attack. I Albania, through which ; the Monte-! negrins are advancing, is the strong-1 hold of Mahomedanism in European | Turkey, which as. a whole contains as! many Christians- as Moslems. In,! Constantinople itself, the Christians : equal the Mahomedanis in numbers, ' but the Christians-are divided,' while! the followers 'of the Arabian Prophet; are' united. Were ~ it possible to i break communication between Euro-1 peaiii Turkey and Asia Minor the onslaught of the allies would be an-1 likely to fail, but reinforcements are | pouring from Asia to the aid of the -j Turk in . Europe who thus, grows! stronger day by day and, week by | week.' At the present ?; time every I combatant i State - not only, 'hampers ] correspondents .and publishes such J war news' seems to its 'interest: | but exaggerates the importance of every trivial, ■: skirmish 'and I outpost action. ; With the frontier broken at innumerable points and i allied troops i everywhere upon thei/j marchrto seize] upon strategic positions, the Turks were bound to give ground. ' It is! sound .strategy',to abandon minor! points in order to .strengthen and develop a practicable plan; :; of campaign, and 'the -Turks,, have never been lacking in military; intelligence. Probably the Montenegrins have gained some advantage, although/the extent of this cannot be known until .Western war-correspondents : are able to report their; personal ; : ; observations ; But it would be a; mistake to imagine that all along the .Servian and i Bulgarian frontiers,a : flood of irresistible -warriors are sweeping triumphantly -upon the out-geher-ailed Turk. r Outpost skirmishes and advance guard actions do not fundamentally affect the " course, of a con-; flict:; between , greiit : , One complete Turkish viotory- before ; Adrianople would send the .^Bulgw- -.;.':.•.:■-, :v ':■■■'■ '''$>.■■■■.■■]:■. . -,:-.'■:.'-■-'' ■ :.':■ :' : :,-'.' : :['■':[[:\':. :

ian 9 back to their own, country with the Turks in pursuit, nor could the i Servians boasi; of earlier successes if their hopes were broken by crushing defeat the first time Turk and Servian.;l really locked horns. The Balkan belligerents ; have been only .; clearing the ground-for decisive ■' battles, of which we may expect a j> series within the next |ew days. Upon the rVault of these battles, and 5 not upen result of petty skir--3 mishes 1 depends the ' issue of the 1 Balkan war. ~ ______