The Timaru Herald THURSDAY. OCTOBER 15, 1908. THE BALKANS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13725, 15 October 1908, Page 4

The Timaru Herald THURSDAY. OCTOBER 15, 1908. THE BALKANS.

There is every ptospeet now that t lie sudden upheaval in the Near " East will be composed without resort to war. At tlie outset, the .situation contained all the elements of ;i calamitous conflict,the end uf which no wan could hu-ve foreseen. Apart from foreign iniereiits: in the dte-UtrlK-d territory, iiit.-i.-sl-i whhh were supposed to Ik- governed l»y the" Keriin Tr.-'jay, the politic* of the ll.ilkitu peninsula itself ;uv so complicated by historical sentiment and religious antagonisms that i! was impossible to view without (lie gravest apprehension the upset, of the Ikrlin ret t lenient and the cuuseiiuent ieopening of the whole vexed Kastetn iiu.-s tjon. 'Die iiiosl Jinpeful sign to-day is llhi announcement attributed to -the. Constantinople correspondent of Neuter's Agency that tieruiany and Italy have declared (hat. treaties cannot be, modified without the consent of all the signatories io them. If this announcement is founded

• hi fact. it iiirtm* Unit tho two l'lAvtrsi which h:iv<' lie.il H'[iHii<.*Med as support iri£ I lie rt c. ni infringement of the Berlin Treaty iiy Ausllia aliit liuljl»iri:t will, Mip]w)it ;!H int.-niational cuiifeivneo tu ileal wiih !h<> now ritiusioa arising from JJui garni" w (ictlar.H on of and Austria's annexation of the two minor pro vincci of HiiMiia and 1U rzcgovina. The tu aty, as our leaders aiv no doubt a\vart- r Uiado Bulgaria tributary to Turkey. ami authorised Aiu-tri;i u> ent.r upon an adniiiii>(rative occupation uf thu province? which j-ln? ha.s now added to her doiiun•l'lis. It was ;l compromise in which all tin- inter.-su d partkiv -Au-tiia, I'u*«i'i, Servia, Moni.-nt'jiio, Turkey, Greece," and liouniatini received Millie actual miiiis and aiin-ed ti> miIII.- <>l ilirir a-pirntioiu-. Jj Alt«:iia and liuhjaria alone t>! til.' C< Sla'cs an* io bo permitted !o a>-uine righto which wen- expt\>slv barred in til.- fWlin Treaty. tin- dour :i of op. 11 inr a general >•;! amble to H hat could lint In! obtained ill H>TB. Tilt; maim, tianre uf an ind-petnl- ■ lit Bulgaria, ruled by a C/ar. under which tide I'lilHc I-Vrdin. nd h.i;, pro. claim d Itilti-vtf. would 11 v:v.> a-jiii a'.iom after :I|.- ni-iiia-val eiitpu.- of :|uatld the iTr.il (ill of .1 Ci.-.iin- Htllj.'alia <-Xt ii'.'.r ;!i- major portion of Mac dillii i. I'll >;iii»fy lli.lt de*h" vtniihl <~ti!ad K.iiiUi'.i, Mj-.h tlrc-ce and the two "m'i'o Sts'.N <if S.-r\-,i all! Montenegro. Serb* nf ~u laid-. h.n.- a h.n^ihi; t.. : • ■ i - a:f tli- (Jr.,.! Serbia ~{ ,dd pud Tt-M.'ic ih'- .uirs. Nt - S '-M i:iit J-'inpii.' w h . U . ...rail over land* f..imr:iy ; itl-d i>> j-isil-.f! Though m., nlv \l■. li llliiii-d ii ;i : r! !i.» i.tji ilj.- p. .iiiir id Jin »l: I ■< J L

and Herzegovina are nearly allied in blood to the Serbs, and moreover, though they have benefited materially from the Austrian occupation, yet like all Slavs they hate. Teutonic rule, and Austria is still regarded as u. Teutonic power because of the ascendancy of jis German' element. The Austrian occupation cuts right across the Serb country, and its conversion into annexation has provoked, as was'only to be expected, a threat of .war from Montenegro. But at present this is the only dangerous note, and it is to be hoped that Mr Asquith's advice for moderation and restraint, pending an impartial settlement by the Powers, will not go unheeded.