The Genesis of a Great Power. 



515 



King Peter as he fought in the Bosnian Rising against 

 the Austrian occupation. 



[He also received the Legion d'Honneur during the Franco- 

 Prussian War of 1870.] 



absurd. Turkey is a religious State, a State 

 founded en the Koran, and in those regions 

 where the Mussulman and Christian populations 

 are mixed, as in European Turkey, there can be 

 no equality or rights for Christians. This con- 

 viction is based on a good deal of experience. 

 The Constitution makes no difference in the 

 matter. 



THE EFFECT OF TURKISH MOBILISATION. 



As soon as Turkey perceived this aim of the 

 Balkan States she began to mobilise. Between 

 her mobilisation and that of the Balkan States 

 five days elapsed, and during this period the 

 Great Powers were unable to persuade Turkey 

 to demobilise. Even before the proclamation of 

 war the Turkish Army crossed into Servia near 

 Ristovats and also into Bulgaria, this in itself 

 proving how necessary had been the mobilisa- 

 tion of the Balkan States. Meanwhile, popular 

 enthusiasm for war had been growing in these 

 countries, and it soon reached such a critical 

 stage that the most moderate and pacific of 

 Balkan statesmen, such as Pachitch, Gueshoff, 



and Venezelos, who were the heads of the 

 Governments of Servia, Bulgaria, and Greece at 

 the time of the crisis, were helpless to quell it. 

 Had they resisted the war current, affairs would 

 have gone ill with rulers and Governments en 

 the Balkans. Thus the war began almost auto- 

 matically — it could no longer be prevented. It 

 would be waste of time to endeavour to predict 

 the issue of the war or to discuss the actions 

 which are to follow. But, even if the issue is 

 favourable for the Balkan States, these are 

 aware that, after its conclusion, and when they 

 are exhausted by warfare, some of the Great 

 Powers will try to exercise pressure on them for 

 their own interests. This applies in particular 

 to Servia, whose geographical position is so 

 difficult. 



WHERE SERVIANS INTERESTS LIE. 



In what region of Turkey do Servian interc.ts 

 lie? What are the interests which Servia hopes 

 to further by this war? Before discussing these 

 questions, it is important to note that, whenever 

 Servian interests are mentioned, Montenegro is 

 also included, for these two States have the 

 same aspirations and the same task before them. 

 Moreover, a perfect understanding exists be- 

 tween them. The region in question is known 

 as Old Servia, and this includes the Sanjak of 

 Novi Bazar or the territory extending from the 

 Southern Bosnian frontier to Mitrovitsa ; Kos- 

 sovo Polje with Prishtina, Metohija wath the 

 little towns of Petch and Prizren ; and finally, 

 the region south of Shar Planina. The southern 

 frontier of Old Servia, or the boundary which 

 divides the Servian and Bulgarian spheres of 

 interest, starts from the Bulgarian frontier at 

 Kustendil, with the dividing line between Pet- 

 chine and Krilje, so that Kriva Palanka and 

 Kratovo remain in the Bulgarian sphere, Uskub 

 and Kumanovo in the Servian. The southern 

 frontier lies through Ovce Polje, with the 

 dividing line between Breganitsa and Ptchinje, 

 and it crosses the Vardar River north of Velles. 

 From here it follows the off-shoots of the 

 Mountains of Yakubitsa, and by a further 

 dividing line on the Mountain of Baba to the 

 Lake of Ochrida, so that Prilep, Krushevo, and 

 Ochrida are in the Bulgarian sphere and Struga 

 Debar and Tchova in the Servian. A narrow 

 strip of Old Servia opens on to the Adriatic Sea 

 near Scutari and Alessio. Thus we see that a 

 territorial and ethnographical understanding has 

 been arrived at between the Serbs and Bulgars. 



UNPARALLELED OPPRESSION AND ANARCHY. 



After twelve years' travel in scientific, geo- 

 graphical, and ethnographical research in Old 

 Servia, as well as in Macedonia, Epirus, and 

 Thessaly, I may say conscientiously that the 



