THE POWERS AND THE BALKANS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15132, 24 October 1912, Page 7

THE POWERS AND THE BALKANS.

— - HOW BRUT IS INTERESTED. I : '•< '■• -' * s , • ■: i '• -\ '. \ ; RUSSIA'S ASIATICJ TREND. / .:y • -' iEvaweU-mfdrcned. article on the situation'iir the Balkan's,' ,as it was.at the beginhave'of the year, a writer in the Bound Table pointed out the mevitablencss of war- ■ occurring this Year, and ; the great danger to :ihe peace of the world, which would follow. Forecasting the probable result if the scramble.: in ; the -."Balkans became general he said: —. v. , '•It may leave things exactly as .'they are, because no one is ; able to. win .a decisive victory, . and ■ because'-the-' . chief, parties /can reach 'no agreement =, about changes, or it n»y involve* complete resettlemesi. ':. If - so, the maximum ' change that seems possible is that; :Austro*Hungary'rshould incorporate .Servia, : .Mont*-; negro and the Southern Slavs, that Bui-' faria should • annex South-eastern . Maceonia and roach the' Mediterranean, that Greece' should acquire Crete, the JSgean Islands- : and" " Epirus, >■ and ■'■ that.'; 'Albania "should ; form' State, ;w,edj|eid between Austria, the Greater Bulgaria and Greece, under some sort of international guarantee. : ] Thus would the ; political organisation „'of the ; Balkans be founded on language and race.' % •; "What of Turkey and''Russia? . Turkey would'probably retain Constantinople—the last outpoßt'other ancient Empire -in : Europe— because ' no. other , arrangement . l .'would command "the''assent of .'the Powers. 'If Russia : were 'willing toHreat -Bulgaria as } it* advance -guard,'; a'-pacific agreement •with Austria.'- would!;be.possible..; But she would require a new arrangement about the' Dardanelles' and ; probably territorial compensation^elsewhere.; And j inhere any doubt that that would mean a further approach to the Persian Gulf, at,the expense of-Turkey'br Persia.?,' \ ..v.'.;:; '■■• i , * "[Whatever ,M.;- Sazonoff ; may say/or.de-; 'sire,-Rui*iais' bound to move towards the Persian Gulf so long as not break {upfinternally,.-and;, so long.aSsPersia arid [Turkey : remain -J as^chaotic as ; ' they are to-day. '- It is not' aT question, of her policy I or'ambitions, it is.a question.of , necessity the-sapie'necessity:which:has.''driven us !tb ■ conquer" India, Egypt-/ Rhodesia, and the Sudan. Thus is the British Empire vitally interested in the Balkan'question, for. it may bring appreciably nearer • the day when the greatest land empire" in the world, ", containingy more > thttn ; 150,000,000 white people, will breai its pennant on the oceans which wash \ the shores of South Africa, New : Zealand, 'India, and Australia,,^ . v . '*'