The Wanganui Herald (Published Daily.) TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1915. THE BALKAN PROBLEM.

Wanganui Herald, Volume L, Issue 14745, 26 October 1915, Page 4

The Wanganui Herald (Published Daily.) TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1915. THE BALKAN PROBLEM.

It Is tho unexpected that happens in national relationships as well as in the smaller matters of life, and it must be confessed that a conflict between Britain and Greece is one of tho things that students of the world’s public affairs have not looked forward to. Y'et, but for the action of Venizelos in sanctioning the landing of Allied forces at Salonika, the evident arrangement made between the Kaiser and the Kings of Roumania and Greece, for a union of their forces, might have eventuated. Despite tho fact that tho feeiing in Greece is itrougly pro-Ally, had tho Kaiser been able to send a few thousand officers into ihe Greek army—as ho did in Turkey and Bulgaria—the Greeks might have been compelled to fight against their convictions. The landing at Salonika, however, nas prevented the juuctioning of the Greek and Bulgarian armies, if such was intended by tho German war lords, and the presence of three or four hundred thousand Allied troops in slacedouia may inspire tho Greek patriots with sufficient confidence to thwart tho efforts of the many German agents in Greece and throw off tho yoke of King Constantine, who has hitherto skilfully checked every move of the party led by Venizelos. The Kaiser is still far from doing what Alexander the Great accomplished and what Najxdeon dreamed of achieving before his dream was shattered, chiefly by tho power of Britain by laud and sea. The Kaiser’s armies ou the Hungarian frontier aro not meeting with the success they anticipated in their march, from which region Alexander the Great set out for his groat march to the Indies more than 20U0 years ago. The Allies .are adopting two ways to prevent the Teutonic host from flowing over the Balkan peninsula, and thence threatening the Suez Canal through Palestine. They are delivering heavy blows on the eastern and western front, which will compel the Germans to detach troops from the Oriental adventure to engage in the pressing and urgent business of holding back the Anglo-French-Belgian forces on the west, and the Russian forces on the east. They are also supplying direct assistance for Servia in the terrible predicament in which she finds herself. The Allies are adopti ig both plans simultaneously. General Joffre Is pressing the Germans resolutely on the west, and the Russians are pushing the invading enemy back both in the Baltic provinces and in Galicia. The repeated blows of the Allies, whether at La Basse or at Tarnopol, must thin the German battalions on the Danube, and across it. It is difficult to believe that Greece can stop out of the war for an indefinite period. To take sides against the Allies would lay her open to irretrievable loss in commercial and maritime spheres, while the success of the Teutonic and Bulgarian arms means that Greece would be despoiled of all tho territory that she acquired as a result of the war of 1912-13—and possibly a good deal more. Her policy of “sincerely benevolent neutrality" towards the Powers of the Quadruple Entente, should, therefore, ripen before long into a still warmer relationship, in spite of King Constantine, his German consort, and the pro-German clique among his officers.

So far an 'Servia is concerned, the enemy may capture a few towns, but that will avail little, for experience has proved that the lessee incurred in their capture are not commensurate with ihe results. In I ha plans that arc to he oro|ve<)

by the opponents of the Teutonic onrush, it is already plain that the "principle of the stragetic retreat which lias already furnished good results in other areas of the war is once more to bo put into operation. One of the great lessons of this war is that the occupation of cities, and the destruction of fortresses coitrihutes but little to the subjugation of a belligerent as long as he ran keep his unbeaten army still in tho field. Brussels, Antwerp, Przemysl, Warsaw have brought the captors much glory, but little that is of substantial military value compared with the advantage that would have .accrued if the armies had not. evacuated each position in time to continue their i . ratcgical retreat until tho moment came for striking again. The Balkans promise no greater success for the Germans than their other ventures.