The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, AUGUST 26, 1903. TROUBLE IN THE BALKANS.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 978, 26 August 1903, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, AUGUST 26, 1903. TROUBLE IN THE BALKANS.

Day by 'day details come to hand of terrible doings in the Balkans, and at present the indications are that the killing and desolating will continue unchecked for some time to come. The Vienna correspondent of the Pilot, in a recent article,‘thus summed up the situation : It is possible that Turkey can maintain order—an awkward prophecy, in face of recent events, but then other contingencies rise to confront p,s. Servia is viewing with undisguised alarm the massing of troops in her' old 1 province of Kessovo. Bulgaria will resent the least infringement—intentional or accidental—of her Ijorders with war, and is preparing to this end with feverish haste. Montenegro has 1 ojilg mip4e all plans for a sudden invasion of Ipek ; and is receiving from Russia an invaluable present of thirty-two machine guns and ammunition. Greece is preaching peace, with one eye resting lovingly on Turkey, and the other on her so unfortunately depleted coffers. Italy is talking, very disereetly it is true, but still talking, of fleets and her rights to the Albanian coast ; and, lastly, Austria, already sadly disillusioned as to Russia, is thinkinir mmirnfiiMv of her financial incas-

pability of undertaking a campaign which she will be morally and vitally bound to do. It is when the probability, of such events is contemplated that the Macedonian Question fades away into insignificance. At the worst, the Powers united could insist on the autonomy of Macedonia, and Turkey would be forced to yield; hut not'so with Albiinta, •For that country autonomy spells anarchy and nothing else. A congress of the” Powers might avert these gloomy forebodings, but the possibility of good ensuing is minimised by the tedious character of the preliminaries. Europe has not to reckon with a pair of serious fighters who have nothing to gain in an affray but everything to lose, but with a lot of ill-tempered, hot-head-ed boys, with nothing to lose and everything to gain, Should one shot be fired in anger on the Bujgario-Mac-edonian frontier, the f Balkan wmii.H he bristling with rifles

orates wouiq ou wwwi«b within an instant. Each State is r jealous of and hates the other, and the moment the one has his coat half off, the rest are ready for whatever may come. That flay will see the downfall of serious calculating ministries, to he supplanted hy men of the people. Remember that in life tie Balkan cities, town 9, and villages, Europe) seems very far 'away to impulsive men burning with patriotism and ambition. These lines have not been penned with the object of creating sensation, Iwt are the result of acknowledge of the tional characteristics of these peoples, and of talks with their leaders, snhordinates. and rank and file.