RUSSIAN AIMS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2257, 17 September 1914, Page 6

RUSSIAN AIMS

A CRITICAL RETROSPECT The following analysis of Russian policy in South-east-em Europe was written by Trebel J.skrin, a native Slav, who has recently taken up his residence in the United States after a long 6tudy of European politics and armaments, and the ovents leading to the present crisis, in the ."Chicago News." "One of the most notable successes of Russian diplomacy in recent years was the detachment of Rumania from the triple alliaiiSo ' and the alignment of King Carol with the combination known a 6 the Triple Entente, consisting of Great Britain, Franco, and Russia. As between Austria and Russia, King Carol and his peoplo had little to choose.- Austria-Hungary holds Transylvania, which is inhabited largely by Rumanian people. On tho othor hand, Russia, after the war against Turkey in 1877-8, rewarded its ally, Rumania by taking away from it the rioh province of Bessarabia and giving to the Rumanians in exchange the strip'of swampy Bulgarian soil at t'he mouth of the Danube, known as the Dobrudja. "Nevertheless, in the present international struggle Rumania-. is ranged with-Russia against Austria. Behind this alignment is an interesting story of King Carol's diplomacy in the second Balkau War—a feat which placcd Rumania in the position of tho dominant factor; for tho time being, among t'ho Balkan' States. "When tho first Balkan AVar broke out, and the allies began to push the Turks out of Europe, King Carol found himself unable to participate in the prospective distribution of Ottoman territory becauso his country at no point touohed the Turkish Empire. In these circumstances he devised the scheme of • demanding ' 'compensation'' , from Bulgaria for its neutrality in the struggle. This "compensation" was to be a strip of Bulgarian territory contiguous to the boundary. Rumania and Bulgaria. "King Carol's plan found ready acceptance at. Petrograd, whero it was readily seen that the wrong Russia had done to Rumania in 1878 could be partly righted at tho expense of Bulgaria in 1913. Consequently, the - Russian Foreign Office informed Bulgaria that Rumania must be "compensated" by the cession of Bulgarian territory. This Bulgaria, though at that time in a life and death grapplo with its old enemy,tho Turk, showed itself unwilling to do. Eventually the- Government at Sofia bowed to the inevitable, and the Tsar of Russia was na'med as arbiter in tho' controversy as to the exact proportions of the "compensation" to, bo granted to Rumania. Li his capacity as arbiter the Tsar of all the Russias engaged in the unusual task of giving away territory that did not belong to him, took pains to conciliate Rumania and to make her feel that Russia was, and always had been, the best friend she ever had. . . "When the award was finally made, the Bulgarian nation, grief stricken by its losses in the field, and goaded to resentment by the obvious bad faith of the arbiter, hesitated to accept-the Imperial decision giving away a part of their country to a' jealous neighbour. In tlie midst of this hesitatio'n the second Balkan AVar broke out, and King Carol, acting with the consent and und'er tlie advice of the great white ,Tsar, took the field with- an army of 50,000 men, marched into Bulgaria, Beizod the territory lie had had his eyo on, and proceeded to occupy it. Under the provisions of the treaty of Bucharest, which put an end to the second Balkan War, Bulgaria was obliged to renounce a region of more ,than 2500 squaro miles, with a Bulgarian population of nearly 250,000, to its northern neighbour as "compensation." And the Servians. ■ "Now that the near Ea-stern question has once more 'been placed upon the green table by the dramatic act of • Austria in that Servia put an end to anti-Austrian agitation within its borders, Rumania is pledged to help the Servians and their patron, tho Tsar of Russia, in maintaining tho existing situation. To Rumania, with Greece, has been assigned the special task of preventing Bulgaria from attacking Servia in the event of an actual clash at arms. ''It is uncertain,, however, to what extent Rumania will be able to co-op-perate ' with Greece, inasmuch as Graeco-Rumanian relations have been subjected to a strain by the Greek policy of suppressing all non-Greek nationalities,, including the Rumanians, in the Greek part of Macedonia."

AN ABODE OF PEACE

CONGRESS PLANNED AT VIENNA. Mr. Henry Wollman, a New York lawyer, gave out a few weeks ago an invitation that he had received to attend the "World's Peace Congress" in Vienna on September 15. Some of the features of the invitation are' interesting in the light of present developments in Europe in general and in Austria in particular. ■ ■ . The first meetings of the .Congress are to be held in Vienna, if all goes well, from September 15 to 19, and then the Congress is to adjourn to Budapest and hold sessions in that city on September 21 and 22. As an evidence of its devotion to the c-auso of universal peace, the municipality of Vienna is to give a banquet to the mombers of the Congress in tho Festival Hall of the Rathaus. ' How devoted tho Emperor of Austria himself is to the cause of peace is amply attested by the following reference:— "Vienna is the residence of the venerable Monarch, the ,Emperor-King Franz Josef 1, the doyen of the sovereigns of Europe, known throughout the world as a determined advocate of peace." History has shown that Vienna and Budapest are peculiarly appropriate cities for the holding of such a peace congress ,the invitation points out, and no year could be more suitable than thq present. On this subject the invitation says: "Tho Turkish invasion of Europe received its first check in front of the walls of Vienna, and the culture of the West was thus saved from destruction. Here, in Vienna, the Crowned Heads of Europe assembled just a century ago, for that memorable Congress, when diplomacy proceeded to the liquidation of the warlike Napoleonic era, and the foundation of modern Europe was laid. Vienna, just after tho conclusion of war on tho Balkans, is—with its sister capital Budapest—tho most easterly metropolis where culturo prevails, and thus most fitted to tho purpose of holding a Congress, in the present year." One of the important themes that was to have been debated was tlie "Problem of Franco-German Relations." It was designed that this question should be discussed by members of . tho Uernian Koiclistag and by mombers of the Freroh Ohaaibor of Deputies.