A NEW GREAT POWER.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12857, 30 January 1913, Page 2

A NEW GREAT POWER.

Mr Howden Smith, a young American war correspondent who has been making a name for himself recently by his vivid descriptive 11. ssages from the Balkans, contributes to a recent issue of the London "Expre.s" some interesting speculations regarding the position of the Balkan Stater; once the present war is concluded. He inclines to the opinion that the Bulgarians, the Greeks, the Montenegrins and the Servians will federate in one Empire, with Constantinople as their capital and Ferdinand, King of Bulyaria, as their Emperor. He admits, the jeajbooisies and differences -of national outlook which exist between the Bulgars and vhe Serbs, the Montenegrins and the Ylaclis, the Greeks and the Roumanians, and the Tzigans and the Albanians, but against all these divergencies he sets the fact that the Balkan Statts hsave discovered that whenaas singly they were impotent, united they are irresisible. In one short month, by acting on concert, they have lifted their countries from the level of barrier Statts and localities fox comic opera scenarios to' a position equal -with that of any of the Great Powers. Counting in the territories which have 'been conquered in the recent fighting, and others which will accrue to them by any treaty they may sign, the Allies may reckon upon a combined population of more than 15,000,000. They can at present put at least 1,000,000 armed men in the field, men who have " proved themselves the equal of any troops in Europe." King Ferdinand is generally recognised to b© tie ablest of the Balkan rulers, and according to Mr Howden Smith, his coronation as Emperor would nob necessarily mean an hereditary tenure of the Imperial crow a for his family. Ferdinand of Bulgaria, crowned Emperor of the Balkans in the Church tof St. Sopibia. witti his caipital in 'Coristantiino^lo, might Revive all the glories of the Eastern Ei; - perors, and as logical successor through them of tbe Roman Caesars would perhaps be able to build up a State in South-Eastern Europe second to nnno on the Continent.