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THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 1909. THE PRICE OF PEACE IN THE HEAR EAST.

The recent cable message intimating that the Poi'te had ratified Kiamil's action in accepting the Austrian offer of monetary compensation for Turkey's lost provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, virtually marks the end of the situation, which, as long as it remained unsettled, was a dan-

ger to the peace of Europe. Austria- i Hungary is to pay Turkey £2, 500,000, | and Bulgaria is to pay her £650,000, i or thereabouts, in full settlement of all claims arising out of the action by both Bulgaria and Austria-Hun-gary m deliberately breaking their solemn treaty obligations. The other Powers interested in the Near East have not only acquiesced in the deal, but have apparently assisted in carrying out the bargain, and it is highly probable that if the proposed European Conference is ever held it will simply ratify the arrangement. The tirice of peace is, therefore, £3,150,000 in hard cash, but over and above this there must be added the incalculable disquietude due to the realisation of the fact that a Power \ which is unable to protect its territorial possessions by force cannotrely upon its treaties to guarantee its security. The net result must be a severe blow for the new regime in Turkey, seeing that the constitutionalists assumed office pledged to preserve the integrity of the Turkish Empire, which has now been shor.'i of two provinces and a tributary State, within a few months of the coming of Constitutionalism. It is held in well-informed diplomatic quarters that Baron von Aehrenthal's acceptance of the idea of offering Turkey monetary compensation was due to pressure from the German Government, which desired to see the dangerous situation settled as soon as possible. For some weeks Baron von Aehrenthal held out stubbornly. He would give nothing, neither would he entertain the proposal that the annexations should be submitted for the discussion of a European conference. it is now known, however, that the Emperor Francis Joseph declined to support his intractable Minister, and, against the united pressure of the German Government and the Austrian Emperor, Baron von Aehrenthal and his chief supporter, the ArchduKe Francis Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Dudl Monarchy, could make no headway. As Germany, with her Dreadnoughts yet unbuilt, and her North Sea canal yet undeepened, found the time inopportune for embarking on a great war, her ally Au3tria —was obliged to offer something in order to secure a settlement. The general opinion will probably be that Austria has bought her new provinces very cheaply, especially as the recent riots at Prague, and the frantic sympathy expressed by the Czechs for the cause of the Serbs, rendered it highly probable that if the,, issue had been pushed as far as war Austria would have had on hand a great insurrection within her own borders as well as all Europe—with the exception of Germany—in arms against her. The constitutionalists in Turkey have profited by the lesson, for the Turkish Government will at once reorganise both its army and navy—with the object, presumably, of being able to repel any further acts of aggression by force, instead of being obliged to accept a sum of money for the loss of territory guaranteed to her by solemn treaty. The real sufferers by the deal are the Bosnians and Herzegoviniaos, who find themselves irretrievably handed over to their Austrian masters, and the Servians, who find their powerful and aggres sive neighbour securely established | right at their doors. As for Bulgaria, it seems brobable that she ■ wil* settle down on friendly terms j with her former suzerain Power and assist Turkey to stem the advance of Germanism, which unless it is vigorously opposed threatens eventually to engulf the whole of the Balkan penin'ula.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WAG19090129.2.7

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3104, 29 January 1909, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
633

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 1909. THE PRICE OF PEACE IN THE HEAR EAST. Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3104, 29 January 1909, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 1909. THE PRICE OF PEACE IN THE HEAR EAST. Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3104, 29 January 1909, Page 4

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