THE BALKAN DISCORD,

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15489, 22 December 1913, Page 7

THE BALKAN DISCORD,

POSITION CAUSING ANXIETY INTERESTS OF RIVAL POWERS; IRRITATION IN FRANCE. AUSTRIA AND SALONIKA. RUSSO-TURKISH FRICTION. By Telegraph -Press Association— Copyright. 'Received December 21, 5.5 p.m.) London, December 20. In an article on the situation in the Near East the Times says that, despite the pacific assurance of Herr Von Bethmann Hollwcg (German Chancellor) and the Marquis di San Giuliani (Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs), the position is causing anxiety. This is said to be due to Continental opinion approaching the problem from the standpoint of the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente, instead of from the European standpoint, which has preserved peace hitherto. The difficulty, says the Times, is illustrated by Germany asking the Triple Alliance to give a concerted answer to the recent British Note. Control of the ffigean Islands. Italy and Austria agree regarding Southern Albania and the Adriatic, but Italy is unwilling to assent to Greece's assumption that the Treaty of Lausanne has been fulfilled, this treaty necessitating the immediate return of the .'Egcan Islands to Turkey. France is suspicious that Italy means to retain her hold on the vEgean Islands after they are nominally returned to Turkey. Although France accepts the assurance of the Marquis di San Giuliani that the Triple Alliance has not been modified, she fears that the military or naval convention attached to it may have been altered to France's disadvantage in the Mediterranean. France Irritated With Germany. France is irritated at Russia's hesitancy regarding the appointment of a German general to command the army at Constantinople. The Times states that Turkey has not arrived at an irrevocable decision and that it should be remembered that Russia and France have the power to paralyse the Bagdad Railway.

Russia desires that Mount Athos shall be under the protectorate of the Orthodox Church States, which would involve a change in the Mediterranean balance of power as grave as the Italian control of the iEgean Islands.

1 Austria, fearing" the.- development of the Slav movement, in Servia, is attempting to secure financial control of the Orient Railway, hoping thus to secure free access to Salonika. Russo-Turkish Relations Strained. The mobilisation of troops on the Russian frontier, according to-the Constantinople correspondent of the Daily Mail, confirms the impression that Russo-Turkish relations ' are strained owing to General Von Sanders's appointment to reorganise the Turkish Army. The financial situation becomes daily more acute owing to Turkey's failure to secure a loan. The Turkish press comment bitterly on the British proposal to allow Greece to retain the iEffean Islands, with the' exception of Imbros and Tenedos.