6o2 The Review of Reviews. 



territories that the Balkan League will created an artificial war crisis, and are 

 gain strength, but it is more than pro- now taking credit to therhselves for 

 bable that the armistice negotiations having averted a general European 

 also covered the possibility of Turkey war. Such an attempt at rehabilita- 

 joining the Balkan League. Then, more tion is, however, fraught with great 

 important still, is the coming adhesion danger, since it is easier to start a war 

 of Roumania. This State, misled by crisis than to end it. After all, many 

 Austria and held in check by German will ask, is the prestige of the former 

 promises, lost the chance which the war Great Powers worth the risk of a 

 gave her of playing the deciding role, universal European war ? It is idle for 

 Were it not for the yearslong attach- Austria or any of the other Powers to 

 ment of the venerable sovereigns of cry out at the idea that Servia may 

 Austria and Roumania, the country plunge Europe into war in order to 

 would already have been in the Balkan obtain an Adriatic port, since it is so 

 League. To-day the Roumanian people very evident that the true ques- 

 see their mistake, and, realising that tion is : Why should Europe allow 

 they have nothing to hope for from the Austria to bring about a universal war 

 new Sick Man of Europe, Austria- in order to take away from Servia the 

 Hungary, they are determined to join ports which she has already conquered 

 the League. The first step will pro- from the Turks, and which she now 

 bably be an understanding between possesses ? One outstanding feature in 

 Servia and Roumania regarding joint the general impotence of the Powers 

 action in future eventualities. It is not has been the continuous and common- 

 difficult to name the most prominent sense attempts of M. Poincare not to 

 of the common bonds, since both avert a European war, but to encourage 

 countries possess millions of co-nationals the Balkan League and Turkey to 

 who have long suffered injustice in the come to terms amongst themselves. 

 Dual Monarchy ; besides which it must Beyond this the only striking point is 

 not be overlooked that Roumania has the speech of Mr. Asquith, made at the 

 enormous advantages to expect from Guildhall, in which he declared that : 

 the Danube- Adriatic railway, which " For the moment, and so long as a 

 must inevitably bind Roumania and state of belligerency continues. His 

 Servia closer together. This accession Majesty's Government, so far as their 

 of force, with subsequent expansion, will influence goes, would deprecate the 

 make the Balkan League perhaps the raising and pressing of isolated ques- 

 most powerful positive force in Europe, tions, which, if handled separately and 



Not content with having at once, may lead to irreconcilable 



Still no more failed to avcrt a war or diverging, but which may well assume 



Great Powers, -j-q prcscrvc thc status a different, perhaps a more tractable, 



quo, the Great Powers aspect if they are reserved to be dealt 



are singularly loth to accept the un- with from the wider point of view of a 



doubted fact that in the partition of general settlement." It is practically 



Turkey they can play no real role, certain that Turkey will remain in 



Rather than accept this idea, they have Constantinople, and although the Dar- 



