The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 1913. RECASTING THE MAP Of EUROPE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1779, 18 June 1913, Page 6

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 1913. RECASTING THE MAP Of EUROPE.

The position in the Balkans i still full of complications, and th< outlook remains uncertain. It i true that the peremptory Note fron Russia has materially lessened tb likelihood of' war among the Allie by forcing them to submit matter in dispute to the Tsar's arbitration This vigorous intervention of Russii n the readjustment of the bound iries of the Balkan States is, how iver, causing uneasiness in Austria md has also led to the resignatioi if the Bulgarian Cabinet. Austrn eems to fear that the new map wil ie drafted without due considera lion for her interests, and that thi 3alkans may become to all intent; md purposes a Russian protector ite. All the Powers declare that thi leace of Europe must be maintain :d, but each 1 nation is naturall; inxious to prevent its interest fron icing prejudicially affected _by thi loursc of events. The situation is i lelicate one, and just at presen he danger point is the clashing o: ,he claims of Austria and Russia Che Slav States look to Russia fo: iupport, and up till recently thi r'an-Slav party at St. Petersburj las been disappointed at th< imidity of • the Government': iction; but the Tsar's emphatii lecision to act as arbitrator indi lates that Russia is not going U illow her influence in the Balkan o be undermined. The Tsar's rigli o arbitrate is based on the treaty included between Servia and Bui ;a-ria in March, 1912, which speci icd the share of each in tho con juered territory should the wai )rove successful. As it was impos lible at the time to say whatmigh lappen to certain districts, it wai lecided that any dispute regarding laims to these debatable district! ,hould be settled by the Tsar. It was inevitable that Russii hould play the leading part ii lealing with the situation whicl las arisen out • of the defeat o Turkey. She naturally desires _t< n'ovent a war among the Allies vhich would be a severe blow ti Slav influence, and could not fail _ti itrcngthen the position of Austria )f course, all the Powers will havi ,o be consulted before the terms o inal settlement arc decided upon md in this consultation Austrii md her allies will no doubt do thei ltmost to protect their own in crests. Britain is not bo vitall; ir directly concerned as some of th> ither nations, and she is therefor, n an exceptionally good position t< ict as mediator when rival claim ire put forward. Thiß is the roll vhich Sir Edward Grey has playei ,o successfully throughout the whoL .rouble, earning for himself thi ,itle of "arbiter mundi," am ;reatly increasing British influeno n European diplomacy. One of thi nost critical points in the crisi, irose when Montenegro capture< Scutari, but fortunately Kin< Nicholas eventually consented t< cave the fate of tho town in thi lands of the Powers. As Lori \lorley recently stated, it was ai inxious moment. Within a fev nonths wo had seen the collapse o ,n Empire that had endured for 501 r cars, and the recasting of the maj if Europe. "There are still plent; if very delicate and complicate! mestions relating to the Balkan: vhich are left for diplomacy ti ottle (says The Times). Any one o hem may again bring a crisis upoi is. But, after the diplomatist iave successfully solved tihe problen ,f Scutari, the world will no eadily believe that they will b ,affled by any other. They hav. 1 (served well of Europe, and the; mv-e undoubtedly raised in th. ninds of the peoples the reputatioi if their calling." There are ground or hoping that before long a settle nent will have been reached whicl v in usher in ai period of permanen jeace and prosperity in th ialkans, and that the success of thi lifficult and delicate negotiation i.mong the Powers will result in : norc general confidence in the uture on methods of diplomacy for he settlement of international lisputes.