520 



The Review of Reviews. 



so full of wounded that it is feared accommoda- 

 tion will be lacking for those who are to follow. 

 The Balkan States will be exhausted after this 

 war. Will they have strength enough to resist 

 any one of the Great Powers who would seize 

 Balkan territory, or under some pretext seek 

 the withdrawal of the armies of the Allied States 

 from the occupied districts? Will there bt 

 found in Europe humane factors and humanely 

 disposed statesmen to hinder such injustice? 

 The other members of the Balkan Alliance knew 

 that after the war Servia will find herself in the 

 most difficult position of all. These are the 

 gloomy thoughts that gather round us, 

 especially because we do not understand Russia's 

 official policy, which was opposed to warlike 

 action on the part of the allies with more insist- 

 ance than was shown by any other Power. 

 This does not coincide with a continuity of 

 Russia's policy, which hitherto did most for the 

 freedom of the Balkan States. She knew that 

 war was now inevitable, that desultory war had 

 really existed for some time on our frontier and 

 amid our compatriots in Turkey. Moreover, 

 this is the only occasion on which we ask 

 nothing from Russia but her moral support. 

 Hence we do not understand the foundation of 

 Russia's official policy, which has, to us, some 

 unaccountable underlying motives. But we 

 place great hopes in the Slav feeling of the 

 mighty Russian nation. Meanwhile, it is easier 

 to gauge the policy of the Austro-Hungarian 

 monarchy, which is now at its most critical point. 

 It appears to be continuing the Imperialistic 

 trend inaugurated by the annexation of Bosnia 

 and Herzegovina — that is, on towards Salonica. 



AUSTRIA AND THE SANJAK. 



This would be the explanation of their demand 

 for the status^ quo, with autonomy for Albania, 

 and she appears opposed to a Servian occupa- 

 tion of the Sanjak, although this has not been 

 officially intimated by her to the Servian Govern- 

 ment.* The Sanjak, like Montenegro, is a high, 

 rocky land in the most inaccessible part of th(^ 

 Balkan Peninsula. As such it is useless to 



* Austro-Hungary in Clause 2Sth of the Treaty of 

 Berlin, July 13th, 1878, acquired the right to keep 

 garrisons in certain parts of the Novi Bazar Sanjak. 

 But she renounced this right at the time of the annexa- 

 tion crisis by an agreement with the Porte on February 

 26th, igog. 



Austro-Hungary, besides being inhabited by an 

 exclusively Servian population. If Austro- 

 Hungary puts forward a claim to this province 

 after the war, she will have against her not only 

 Servia and Montenegro and the other Balkan 

 Allies, but Russia, and probably some other of 

 the Great Powers ; and I cannot believe Austria- 

 Hungary capable of following up an Im- 

 perialistic policy to which the majority of her 

 subjects would be opposed, and which would 

 involve her in grave internal disorders. It is 

 much more likely that Austria-Hungary will 

 refiain from penetrating further into the Balkan 

 Peninsula, and that after the conclusion of the 

 war she will be content with her legitimate 

 rights of communication and economical in- 

 terests. She would then find a real basis of 

 contact with the Balkan States. There would 

 no longer be any mistrust, and Austria-Hungary 

 would be able to avail herself of her favourable 

 geographical position in order to develop to the 

 utmost her economical and mercantile interests 

 in the Balkan States. 



NO DESIGNS ON CONSTANTINOPLE OR SALONICA. 



The other Great Powers may have important 

 interests if the Balkan States are successful in 

 this war and take possession of Turkish terri- 

 tory. Even in the case of the greatest success, 

 not one of the Balkan States has any idea of an 

 occupation of Constantinople, the Isthmus, or 

 Salonica. The Balkan States would be content 

 with the solution of their national question. 

 The dangerous " Wetterwinkel " which is con- 

 stantly disturbing Europe would disappear, A 

 new portion of Europe would be available for 

 work, competition of capital, and general cul- 

 ture. The outlay of the populations in these 

 regions will be increased under the new con- 

 ditions. My calculations have led me to the 

 conclusion that a household in Servia has five 

 to ten times (according to the district) a greater 

 expenditure than a household of the same num- 

 ber in Old Servia and Macedonia. On an 

 average it may be said that the outlay of the 

 free Balkan peasant is 7-5 times greater than 

 that of the Old Servian or Macedonian chiffchic. 

 This will increase as the wealth of these parts 

 is exploited, and it will then be much easier 

 for these provinces to fulfil their international 

 obligations than has hitherto been the case. 



