The Star. TUESDAY, FEBERUARY 4, 1913. THE MAP OF EUROPE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10685, 4 February 1913, Page 2

The Star. TUESDAY, FEBERUARY 4, 1913. THE MAP OF EUROPE.

Hint Turkey's downfall is complete, and that slio is metaphorically on her knees to her enemies of the .Halkan League and to tin* great Powers ot Europe, is certain, notwithstanding t|iat ono hoars intermittently of a desiro on the part of sonic portions of her population to adhere to certain parts of her territory or die. Tito war itself was unexpected, and equally so were the results lip to tlio present, for no one cognisant of Turkey s warlike history ever fancied that in virtually a few weeks her military reputation would he torn to shreds, lior capital threatened, and her Ministers suing for peace. But such is tlio story of the war, and a. surprising story it is indeed. ft is a story with a lesson, a story fraught with warnings to the great Powers, and to none ot these more than to Britain. In a recent speech Lord Curzon said that it might be asked what Britain had to do with the Balkan peninsula. He answered the question by saying it had much to do with it. Ho remarked that primarily the events that had taken place there, and were still occurring, might conceivably bring Britain 011 the verge of international war; and, secondly, the war was full of lessons and warnings that it would be folly to ignore. The delegates had discussed the preliminaries of pea.cOj but had failed to < agree, but while the discussion proceeded clouds had arisen 011 the horizon which suggested that certain Great Powers of Europe might be plunged into war, and that Great Britain was ono of them. The map of Europe was being reorganised on a drastic scale, and while that reorganisation was in progress it was not surprising that international .jealousy should be aroused. The situation was a momentous one, and unless- carefully handled might lead to friction if not to conflict. Dealing with the first lesson of the Balkan war, his Lordship said that it had come like <1 thief in the night, but it might also be concluded with appalling rapidity. Lord Haldane, speaking at a. time when the Balkan war was not thought of, had aaid that the Territorial forces would have six months in which to prepare after an outbreak of hostilities. Many men with military knowledge and experience scoffed at Lord . Haldane's view, and how the Balkan war had played into the hands of these scoffers and justified their criticism of Lord Haldane's view. The Balkan war had "knocked the bottom out of the Territorial scheme, even nioro than the speeches of Lord Roberts." An army to bo effective must be ready, and that reallj' is the most important lesson of the war, not only to Great Britain, but to every ono of her many , and -widely separated overseas dominions, both isolated and ,in federation.