ROUMANIA AMD TURKEY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 44, 15 October 1912, Page 4

ROUMANIA AMD TURKEY.

How Roumania would act in the even! of a Balkan conflict was discussed some time ago in the London ‘Times,” this journal stating that Roumania and Turkey had concluded a military agreement, and in the event of an outbreak of war between Turkey and Bulgaria, Roumania would mobilise all her forces along the military frontier of Bulgaria. The “Times” goes on to say: “The effect of this agreement, is shown in the exultation of the Turkish Press, and it must necessarily afford dangerous encouragement to the warlike elements at Constantinople. The agreement affects Greece almost as much as Bulgaria, for it sets Turkey free to fall upon Greece, whenever the war party at Constantinople gains the upper hand, without having to reckon with Bulgarian action, as the mobilisation of the Roumanian army on the Bulgarian frontier would probably alone suffice to hold Bulgaria in check. More than that. It seems to be really an invitation to Turkey to provote a rupture with Bulgaria as well as with Greece. From this point of view it constitutes a fait nouveau in the European situation, and our scepticism hitherto gives the measure of the gravity we are compelled to attach to it. For, besides, the actual gravity in regard to the critical cnndidition of affairs in the Balkans, tln-ie is the symptomatic gravity. It is not conceivable that Roumania should have taken such a step without (onsn'tatxon with the two central European Powers, with which her relations have for many yeau past been so intimate that many believe them to be based upon definite treaty agreements. Of those two Powers, th one that enjoys by far the greater influence at Bucharest is Germany; for the existence of a large Roumanian population in Hungary, which is apt to cherish irredentist aspirations forbids any real cordiality in the relations between "he Roumanian kingdom and the Huai Monarchy. It is no_ secret that German diplomacy has been working hard, and with astonishing success, to recover the ground it suddenly lost with the downfall of Abdul Hamid. A military agreement with Roumania must intensify the temptation for the Young Turks to seek the consolidation of the new regime in the same warlike’ exploits by which the Hamidian regime achieved a new lease of life. However prudent and statesmanlike Sultan Ma-hopiet’s-Ministers pay be-uind-tjhey have given not a few proofs of modem-rtiofi-uit' has .beoil (evident for, sbrfije'time past that iir ! ihte -liMitary phrty, which is still the power behind the throne fjt, j .’a | 'strong, j bin| rent ■ has- setj ( in .towards mb[rq .yipleqt, methods. ■ irliii plnoportibni as the current; '■hfifc 1 V&rerigf hoto'ed-G thi * influence of the Western Powers has visibly diminished; for it is obviously not in Paris or in London or in St. Petersburg That these new tendencies could look for encouragement.”