The Balkans Crisis

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 118, 5 October 1912, Page 5

The Balkans Crisis

THAT MEMORANDUM. RUSSIA INTERVENES. ' STUDENTS' DEMONSTRATIONS. PROSPECTS OF PEACE WANING. By Cable—Press Association—Copyist. Received 4, 11.20 p.m. London, October 4. Owing to the Balkan crisis the cruiser Yarmouth, now at Gibraltar, has been ordered to Malta. The cruiser Weymouth has been ordered to Suda Bay. The Balkan Legation denies the Pall klall's story. Other advices declare that the memorandum was not presented, owto the influence of the Powers, while tile text was milder than originally intended. Roumania is not mobilising at present, though grand manoeuvres are just beginning. The press says that it is reported that Russia has submitted a proposal to Prance and Britain, suggesting that pressure should be applied to Turkey. Neither has so far accepted the proposal. Constantinople, October 4. 'Four thousand students held a demon•tration in favor of war. They cheered the various embassies, particularly the British one. Though order is being maintained, the excitement of the popmlace is rising. The Bulgarian Legation is being »trongly guarded, owing to a hostile flemonstration.

Athens, October 4. The Ambassadors have warned the Foreign Minister that he is allowing Greece to drift into a dangerous enterprise, from which no benefit can be gained. The Garibaldians telegraphed, offering to send a corps to Greece whenever war was declared. Hopes of peace are waning. The mobilisation will mean a severe internal crisis in Bulgaria and Servia. The Neue Freie Presse's Belgrade correports that the Powers have induced the Balkans to withold a collective memorandum on the ground that it is needless, inasmuch as the Great Powers are at one with the Balkans in seeking to secure reforms in Macedonia and Albania. The paner adds that a Turkish special mission has arrived at Belgrade and conferred with the Premier. !

Rome, October 4. The conclusion Df peace is officially denied. Berlin, October 4. A more hopeful feeling prevails. It is believed that tlie allies will not be sorry • if the pressure of the Powers affords a. pretext for sheathing swords. "COME OVER AND HELP US."' Received 4, 9.25 p.m. Washington, October 4. The Greek Consul has received orders to notify all reservists in the United States to return to Greece and join the army. SPAIN MOBILISING. Received 4, 10.35 p.m. Madrid. October 4. The reservists are rapidly mobilising. It is estimated that four thousand skilled railwaymen will thus be available for work on the railways. THE PORTE'S NOTE. « A VIGOROUS PROTEST. AN ULTIMATUM. Received 5, 12.25 a.m. London, October 4. The bourses are firmer. Constantinople, October 4. Nazim Pasha has been appointed to iupreme command of the army. The Porte's Note to the Powers states that the Government, being desirous of promoting natural development, a new regime will be continuously pursued of a- pacific policy towards the Balkans. The Government has sedulously avoided provocative acts. The Balkans warlike preparations are due to a desire to satisfy individual ambitions. Reliable information states that an ultimatum demanding autonomous conditions will be delivered on Monday next.

STOCK EXCHANGE PANIC. RUSSIA AND AUSTRIA AGREED THE GREEK STEAMERS. : Berlin, October 3. The Lokakn Zeige-r rebukes the German bourses for failing to exhibit selfcontrol in the Balkan crisis. Most newspapers see the chief hope of peace in the empty Balkan war-chests. London, October 5-

Greece paid over £500,000 lor four Argentine destroyers, which will sail to-day under English officers. Lloyd's report that six Greek steamers have teen detained at the Dardanelles. It is rumored that three days' ultimatum has been given to-day, and if reiected the Powers -will be informed, and war will begin after a further lapse of three days. The Powers have made strong reprelestations to the various Balkan States in favor of peace. The Exchange is nervous, and tnere js heavy selling of foreign bonds on Continental bourses, which are depressed. Hundreds of thousands of pounds have been lost by panic-stricken investors in Germany. The Daily Mail's Vienna correspondent says that many speculators have been ruined by the debacles on the Stock Exchange. The most stable stocks fell heavily. . There are indications that Austria and Russia have arrived at a close understanding to try to prevent war, and if they fail, they will take the necessary measures lor circumscribing it.

TURKISH AGGRESSION. Cettinje. October -i. T be Turks fired at Montenegrins on the border near Derana, but the Montenegrin 3 did rcpl} • THE ALLIES' ULTIMATUM. i.n:'!;irs. ftetoW 3.

The Pall Mall Gazette states that the London legations of the allies have received an ultimatum, which was submitted to the Powers before being sent to Turkey. The ultimatum demands autonomy for Macedonia, Albania and old Servia, similar to that of Crete. TURKEY'S REPLY. London, October 3. Renter states that Turkey has notified the Powers that owning to the aggressiveness of the Balkan States she reserves full liberty of action to safeguard her rights. CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE. "A SEETHING CAULDRON." "The Balkans" is the term usually given to those States in South-eastern Europe which form part of the so-called Balkan Peninsula, and are bounded by Austria and' Russia on the north, the Adriatic Sea on the west, the Black Sea on the East, and Greece and the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas on the south. They thus include Turkey (comprising Turkey proper, with Albania and Macedonia), Bulgaria (with which Eastern Roumelia is now incorporated), Servia, Montenegro and Roumania. Bosnia and Hereegovinia, which were formerly generally comprised in the category of the Balkan States, are now (since 1909) part of the Austrian Empire.

There have been hostilities in the Balkans for hundreds of years. These States have been the "seething cauldron" of Europe. The Moslem Turks nave tried the impossible, the government of many different nationalities with varying religions and customs. Generally they have attempted to dominate these subject States by oppression and force of arms, and they have always failed. The separation of the now independent States, of Bulgaria, Servia, Montenegro and Roumania has reduced the extent, but has not removed the cause of the trouble which has so often brought about, and now again threatens, war. The "Bulgarian atrocities" which Mr. Gladstone attacked so eloquently have ceased, but the oppression of Christians by the Mahomedan rulers has continued in Armenia, Albania and Macedonia. For the time being we are concerned only with the two latter parts of the Turkish dominions. Albania is that portion of Turkey which is bounded by Servia and Bulgaria on the north, "by Montenegro and the Adriatic Sea on the west, and by Greece on the south. Macedonia lies east of Albania, and has Bulgaria on the north and the Aegean Sea on the south. A large proportion of the population of both provinces are Christians and Slavs, and belong to the same races as the Bulgars and Serbs. ,Put baldly, it has been the attempt on the part of successive Turkish governments to Ottomanise the Albanians and Macedonians, and to destroy their customs and privileges, which has caused the repeated risings in those countries, and now arouse the sympathy of their co-religionists and fellow-kins-men in neighboring countries, who have an additional incentive to come to their aid in the attacks which have been made by Turkish troops on Bulgarians and Montenegrins respectively. BALKAN ARMIES. STRENGTH OF THE RIVAL FORCES. TURKEY AND HER ENEMIES. Greece, Turkey and all the Balkan States have long adopted universal compulsory military service, and the period of continuous service in the active army varies from two to four years. The strength of the different armies is as follow!: TURKEY. War Strength Permanent & Territorial Armies 800,000 Army and Reserves 500,000 Territorial Reserves 100,000 1,400,000 The approximate peace strength of the Turkish army during recent years has been about 375,000. Of these about 20,000 are in Yemen (Arabia), 10,000 in Hedjaz (Arabia), and 10,000 in Tripoli. The above figures are taken from the "Statesmen's Year Book" and the "Almanach de Gotlia." "Hazell's Annual" puts the total war strength of the Turkish Army at "well over 1,000,000," but adds that somewhere between one-quarter and one-half must be eliminated as of little fighting value. , TURKEY'S FOES. Peace War Strength. Strength. Bulgaria 57,800 380,000 Greece....' 31,000 192,000 Montenegro Servia 35,600 175,000

123,600 787,000 Roumania, the remaining Balkan State, although she has so far not taken an active part in the recent Balkan turmoil, must also be taken into account. The peace strength of her army is about 100,000 men. and the way strength about 300,000. THE BOWERS.. The three Powers, most immediately interested in the Balkans are Austria, Italy and Russia. A cable message a few days ago stated that the Italian reservists of different classes were being called to the colors, Austria, which seized Bosnia-Herzegovina in 'the crisis of 1908, is also alert, and Russia has been mobilising seven Army corps. This latter move is stated to be merely a test arranged months ago, and may or may not be due to the present situation. A Russian Army corps on a war footing is about 2-2,000 men, and the period of mobilisation is seventeen days.

The strengths of the armies of these Powers are as follow:

Peace War Strength. Strength. Austria-Hungary 390,000 805,000 rt.alv \. 291,000 750,000 Russia 1,384,000 1,500,000* "This is the Russian European Army, and excludes extensive forces in the Caucasus, Turkestan and Eastern Siberia. The figures given above are taken from the latest year books, but they are only approximations at the best, and there are considerable divergences to be found between the figures in one year hook and another. The "Almanacli de Ootlia," for instance, gives Italy's ''effective strength in time of war" at 3,406,281 men, a figure which includes, in addition to the reserves, some 2,000,000 odd unorganised men.