Leading Articles in the Reviews. 



549 



THE ATTITUDE OF AUSTRIA. 



According to an Austrian politician who 

 writes on the Balkan War in the November issue 

 of the Deutsche Revue, Europe is in presence of 

 a new phase, albeit not the last, of the Eastern 

 Question. 



At the time of writing this article the war, 

 apparently, had not actually broken out, but the 

 four Balkan States had decided to mobilise their 

 armies, the object they had in view being, it was 

 stated, the amelioration .of the unbearable con- 

 ditions of their co- 

 nationalities i n 

 Turkey. The only 

 way to achieve this 

 end was pointed 

 out by Dr. Kra- 

 marz, the well- 

 known representa- 

 tive of the Greater 

 Slav ideas, in a 

 speech in the Aus- 

 trian Delegation : 

 it was the creation 

 of autonomous ad- 

 ministration, 

 with a Christian 

 Governor at the 

 head, in Mace- 

 donia, Old Servia, 

 Albania, and 

 Epirus. But with 

 the differences of 

 race and language 

 in these lands, 

 such a scheme 

 would be by no 

 means easy of 

 execution, and in 

 any case such con- 

 cessions could 

 only be wrung 

 from Turkey on 

 the battlefield. In 

 the event of war 

 being avoided, the 



Great Powers should come to the aid of the 

 Balkan States. Reforms had been promised the 

 carrying out of which the Great Powers them- 

 selves would take in hand. 



WHAT SERVIA WANTS. 



That such assurances were looked upon scep- 

 tically by the Balkan States will surprise no one. 

 A glance at the history of the Ottoman Empire 

 in the last century will suffice to show what may 

 be expected from Turkish reforms. From 1839 

 onwards all promises of reform have come to 



PJiotograpli by 

 Host through Vienna during the P 



nothing. Turkey is either unable or unwilling to 

 make it possible for Christians and Mahomedans 

 to live together, and the Balkan States very 

 naturally conclude that the only solution of the 

 question is the granting of extensive autonomy 

 to them. The writer doubts whether that is the 

 real object for which they strive. Of the united 

 kingdoms, Servia, he says, is the most sincere. 

 In Belgrade no one makes any secret of the true 

 desire of Servia. It is clearly enough stated in 

 the newspapers, and is to the effect that Servia 



demands the auto- 

 nomy of Old 

 Servia, because 

 she needs a way 

 to the sea without 

 having to traverse 

 foreign territory. 

 Had Servia to 

 stand alone and 

 face the Turkish 

 Army, she could 

 hardly reckon on 

 a success of arms 

 or the fulfilment 

 of her desires. 

 Turkey will prob- 

 ably attack her 

 strongest and 

 most dangerous 

 neighbour, the 

 schooled and well- 

 prepared Bulga- 

 rian Army, while, 

 according to the 

 latest proclama- 

 tion of King 

 Nicholas, Servia 

 and Montenegro 

 will join hands in 

 brotherly fashion 

 in Old Servia. If 

 Belgrade and 

 Cettinje reckon on 

 any acquisition of 

 territory it will be 

 in hope of the sympathy and support of Russia. 



RELATIONS OF AUSTRIA AND RUSSIA. 



The key to the situation, as well as the presup- 

 position of any solution of the Balkan Question, 

 is, and remains, the relations between Austria 

 and Russia. In all matters relating to the Near 

 East Russia has to reckon with the attitude of 

 Austria. Nevertheless the relations of the two 

 Empires have undergone many changes, and trust 

 has sometimes given place to mistrust. Yet 

 after the annexation crisis had caused a passing 

 misunderstanding between Austria and Russia, a 



{Central Xeics. 

 rocession of the| Eucharist Congress. 



