RUSSIAN REVENGE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 188, 28 December 1912, Page 1 (Supplement)

RUSSIAN REVENGE

HOW IT ALL STARTED, SECRET TREATIES; The British people look only on. the surface of the events without trying to see deeper into the true agency winch brought these events about." That is the opinion of a leading foreign diplomat at present in England, and it prefaces a survey of the factors in the Balkan crisis which he has sent to the London Daily Telegraph. Even the BU . periicial view of the crisis produced serious perturbation in all the financial centres of the world, he continues. The Bourse panics in Paris. Berlin, and Vienna were probably so intense just because some of the greatest bankers are well informed as to what forces and what motives are behind the Balkan movement. Ihe true beginning of the present crisis dates trom the day iij St. I etersburg ilie Austrian annexation of Jiosnia and Herzegovina. The pervitins in particular and the Slavonic world in general, were then confidently told bv Russia to have patience, as W-and-bye matters would be mended. Russia took tie annexation of two Servian, therefore Slavonic, provinces . the more to heart not only because in the diplomatic duel with Austria she was humiliated, "out because she considered the annexation ol those province as Austria's first step towards Salonika. Since the end of 1908 Russian statesmen have been planum* now to bar the way by which Austria could reach Salonika,

Ihe creation of a Great Servia, comprising the Sanjak of N'ovibazar, Kossovo Vilayet, ami part of Xonhern Albania, and the creation'ol a Great Empire, comprising Macedonia, would mean the creation of a double barrier with at least 500,000 soldiers behind it to an eventual march of Austria in the direction of Salonika. But the creation oi such a barrier presupposed the destitution of the Turkish Empire in Europe. Therefore Russia began to work -first of all, to settle the differences between Bulgaria, Servia, and Greece, ck,Terences arising from their territorial claims; then to unite them for a mutual defensive and offensive policy; and thirdly, to draw them into closer relations towards her. This difficult task was accomplished successfully in the early summer of this year. In the beginning of June a special Bulgarian deputation. headed bv M. Daner, went to Livadia to deliver into the hands of the Czar the secret treaty between Bulgaria and Russia, ratified by King Ferdinand In the beginning of August M. Pasitch (present Premier of Servia) went to Moscow to deliver to the Czar the secret treaty between Servia and Russia. A few days later the St. Pcterabiir" correspondent of a Paris paper asserted that he had seen the original treaty letween Bulgaria and Servia in the bands of a Russian Minister. And shortly after that the press of Vienna, Paris, Berlin, and London gave the news about tie treaties of alliances between Bulgaria, Servia, Montenegro, and Greece, 0 concluded under the patronage of Russia Many people believe that the object of Russia's policy is to utilise her alliance with France and entente with England to raise up her prestige in the Balkans, to use the Balkan States to break down the power of Turkey, and to create bi« Slavonic States, which, under some sort of Russian Protectorate, would act as a barrier to further advances of Austria into the Balkan Peninsula. Austria, wellinformed of the aims and activity of the Russian policy, thought to preVent its realisation by her suggestion to the Powcis to call the Porte at once to execute a sort of .bcent.-alisation, Count JJercli.oUls initiative was understood by Russia to be an act crossing her own plans. France and England could not move in the sphere' of the Balkan policy without consulting the wishes of Russia. And Russia was determined not to allow Austria to take a leading part and frustrate Russian plans. Therefore the Austrian proposals were subjected to detailed discussion, and meantime the signal was given to the allied Balkan States to commence their action.

, The action of the Balkan States was not only a move against Turkey, but against Austria, too. Behind them' Russia "Austria stand opposite each otnor. Unit is the reason why, in my opinion, the Balkan war cannot'he localised. Or. rather, after the Balkan States and Turkey mutually exhaust each other so that they cannot continue the war. then divergence of Balkan interests between these two empires, which will naturally drag' their allies in. The question is: Do France and England approve the Balkan policy of their aliv and friend, Russia? If so, then the general war is absolutely in sight. And a still more pressing question is: Could not England, France, and (Jermany join hands to save France from the terrible calamity of a general war? I believe they could if they would. All honor to I'lance, which is honestly and honorably exerting herself to save the world the most terrible war in tne history of the world. But what is England doing? Whv i« she paralysed l ?