PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2556, 11 March 1903, Page 69

PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

THE MACEDONIAN WAR CLOUD. A friend . the other day suggested that I should write a- chat upon the state of affairs in Turkey. * What could -I do but take the hint? But it is easier to promise than to perform, for it is one thing to have a general idea of what is going on, and another to put definite statements into print. Besides, I doa't know that I am too well informed on the subject — only editors know everything and can assume infallibility. I'll try to give a clear account, however, and if any of my readers can correct or supplement what I say I shall be glad to become further informed. Perhaps the newspaper heading would lead better as "The. Bulgarian Unrest," for Bulgaria is the disturbing element rather more than Macedonia. ■ To give definiteness to What I am about to write, perhaps I Had better go back to 1875, when the. whole of the" Balkan States were in a seething stateof revolt against . Turkish rule and were greatly encouraged by .Russia, whose motives, - however, were not regarded as of ihe purest. Herzgoviha, Servia, and Monitenegro burst out, and for a time Turkey could do nothing; then, to crush out the smouldering fires in Bulgaria, Turkish troops were let loose, and they harried the jQhristians with merciless cruelty. Lord ' with levity* described the ac-

courage Then R

counts of the Bulgarian atrocities as "coffee-housa babble"; but Gladstone headed tne outburst against the massacres of the s*Unspeakable Turk," and advocated that he, "bag and baggage," should be evicted from all Christian provinces. That, however, was" not the policy of Beaconsfield, for he wanted "the Sick Man" propped up j to check the designs of Russia. Gladstone j would' have wiped the Turk out of" existence:, his rival wanted -him to act as a barrier 'blocking the advance of the Great Northern^- Colossus. *A meeting of repr&j sentatives of the Powers took place, but jealousy prevented any agreement being arrived at. Indeed, Turkey was rather encouraged by Beaconsfield to resist Russia. Then Russia — she had bribed Austria to remain neutral — threw down the gauntlet, and the Russo-Turkish. war was the result. At .first the Turks held their own, the heroic stand at Plevna by Osman Pasha winning admiration from all; but after Plevna," the resistance was feeble, and "in a short time the Russians were within sight of Constantinople. At this .time re : lations were strained between England and -«• Russia. As a menace, Beaconsfield ordered 7 the British fleet to- the Dardanelles, and Parliament voted six millions to prepare for eventualities;^ and Jif.. Russia, had .persisted , in" her'^onward 'march to Constantinople • war-.would' have followed.-, , Then the Sultan^ signed ftfe 1 treaty of HSan Stephano, whicfi, dismembered Turkey and placed Russia y in a 1 strong position. Beaconsfield,"' how\ ever; refused 'to' recognise' the treaty, and to. show tfiat he would not, -ordered a large contingent of Indian 'troops to - Malta to be" ready -for emergencies. Russia, seeing that England meant business, tore up the treaty, and in its place a congress at Berlin—Salisbury and Beaconsfield represented England — agreed to a' much, modified one, which handed Bosnia and Efexgovina over to Austria ; made" Servia, Montenegro, and Roumania independent States; erected Bui-* garia into, a self-governing State, but tributary ; carved out a new kingdom, Eastern Roumelia, to be ruled by a Christian Governor; handed a slice of territory over to < Greece ; gave Russia Bessarabia,* near the mouth of the Danube, and a slice of trritory around and including Kars in Asia Minor ; and transferred Cyprus to England. Beaconsfield/ made a theatrical return to England, and "Peace -with honour" was iv every man's mouth. Gladstone was hissed as much as "Dizzy" was hurrahed, and the mob broke his windows — when shall we educate the mob to think and keep a level head? All this, perhaps, has little connection with the. present unrest, but it shows how near we were to having a second Crimea and what a dismemberment Turkey suffered. Russia surrendered little, and, as she thought, gained much. Not only did she gain territory, but she thought that the . breaking up of .European Turkey into a j number of States .would place them under j her. control, and that ultimately she would ; be able to absorb them. - Probably sha j hasn't been able to assimilate them as easily as . she imagined, and " she has, in consequence, been -waiting her time in Europe, but at- the same time .materially strengthening, her position in A3ia from Persia to the Chinese seas. Now, to come back to Bulgaria and Macedonia. By the Treaty of San Stephano — you will see San Stepliano on any good map just to the S.W. of Constants nople— Bulgaria was to have included most of Macedonia, and that is one of the reasons why Burgaria is anxious to annex Macedonia now ; further, a large proportion of the Macedonian population are ■ Bulgarians, so naturally Bulgaria wishes to control her own, people. Again, Macedonia is ruled by Turkey, while Bulgaria is free from Turkish rule. Bulgaria, when the question is looked into, . is seen to occupy a unique position. When the Treaty ofStephano was signed Bulgaria, occupying the position she did — extending from the Danube to the iEgean Sea, and from the Black Sea almost to the Adriatic, — was strong territorially and strategically, and England — I am using that word "England" right through because it comes naturally, somehow — objected, because she thought this huge State would fall under Russian domination. And Russia thought the same. Now, however, it is the other way" about, for- we see that. Bui- - jrariahas a will of her own, and is probably the' beginning of a young lusty nation ; vriy, therefore, are rather-pleased to see her extending her influence, because ihe may become a strong 1 bulwark against Russia ; on~the other hand, she shows so much independence, and has such a warlike and intelligent population, that Russia isn't at all anxious for^tliat power to be extended, especially since Bulgaria absorbed Eastern Roumelia in 1885. Turkey, of course, hates her because she 'is independent and is working for the acquisition of Macedonia, the loss of which will leave precious little to Turkey in Europe; while Austria equally abhors her. for extension of her power means blocking Austria from an outlet on the -iEgean Sea. Again, however, while we are not unwilling to see Bulcaria extend his influence, we fear what, the outcome will be of any war in the Balkan Peninsula. Where will it end? A glance at the map will show that even now Bulgaria and Eastern Ronmelia form a large State, and. if Macedonia be added, the three States in one, having much in common, will become a nation to be reckoned with. Poor Macedonia, a mixture of Greek, Turk, Bulgarian, and Jew. is in a sorry plight. She is drained of her resources by the dissolute, idle, tax-grinding Turk, is harassed by .Albania iD the west, torn by party faction in the east, coveted — and not unnaturally — by Bulgaria, and equally loneed for by Austria, who wants the port of Salonika. ' Taken as a whole, the Balkan i States da not form a particularly happy j family, and they are a source of anxiety to the Great Powers, all of whom seem anxious to keep peace in the Peninsula as long as possible. Have I made the position fairly clear?

= • 'I t Don't be fooled. WOLFE'S 13 the real . original SchnaDDS.