BALKANS "DARK FUTURE."

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 13045, 10 April 1913, Page 3

BALKANS "DARK FUTURE."

Colonel H. Foster, director of military training m the Sydney University, who recently returned to Sydney from a five months' visit to England and the Continent, stated m an interview last week, regarding the outlook m Europe, that the position m the Balkans was an extremely complex one. The future, he said, looked rather dark, for no one could tell the extent to which the turbulent Balkan nations would quarrel among themselves, nor what decision they would make regarding the? division of the spoils. Their relations with one another were not very, friendly, and they had all got different ambitions. As far as England and Germany were concerned, the relations were better to-day than they had been for some time. "I was m) Germany 'for. a while," Colonel Foster went on, "and at that time the 'Germans were- very nervous about the possibility,, of having to help A ustr ia against Russia, ' but thai) situation has calmed doArn how. There was, as you know, . a possibility of f war between Austria' and . Russia; on account of Austria's efforts - t to prevent Servia from getting »■ foothold; on, the Adriatic. The Germans were ob^ou-ly' not anxious to takte part m a war to help their allies, though the terms, of the alliance would have compelled them to do so had hostilities broken out. Such a war is not as likely to occur now as it was at the time of which I am speaking."