Leading Articles in the Reviews. 



655 



EFFECT ON OUR EMPIRE. 



In the Round Table for December a writer 

 says that for many years it has been a behef 

 among Mohammedans that there is a conspiracy 

 among- the Christian Powers to overturn the few 

 remaining independent Mohammedan Powers 

 and seize their lands : — 



There is a prophecy of Mohammed himself that his 

 followers, forgetful of his teaching, would at last be 

 driven back to the original home of their faith, but that 

 then, chastened in spirit, they would arise once more and 

 conquer the world. Do not recent events point to the 

 near approach of this day? Is not Islam ringed about 

 by infidel powers, so that Turkey, Persia, and Afghan- 

 istan alone are left — a compact group — the last pro- 

 tectors of the land where the prophet preached and 

 died? We may not fear very deeply what these powers 

 themselves may do. But there are 70,000,000 Moham- 

 medans in India, and 10,000,000 in Egypt, among whom 

 it is whispered daily that the British Government is a 

 secret party to the conspiracy against their faith, and 

 that the day of triumph, prophesied of old, is at hand. 



The importance of these facts cannot be ignored. The 

 defeat of the Turks, little as it may seem to concern us 

 at first sight, will make the task of government in India 

 aftd Egypt no easier, and will create difficulties of 

 foreign policy in Arabia, in the Persian L-ulf, and on 

 the Egyptian frontiers, such as we have not experienced 

 before. 



INDIAN MOSLEMS' VIEW. 



The author of a paper with this heading 

 in the Indian Review tells of the outraged feel- 

 ings of Indian Mohammedans at the action of 

 the Balkan States in going to war with Turkey. 

 He observes that for several months past the 

 Mohammedans of India have been passing 

 through a state of discontent. The unblushing 

 brutality with which Russia was treating Persia, 

 the apparently unprovoked assault of Italy upon 

 the Turkish position in Tripoli, and lastly the 

 disappointment of the Indian Mohammedans over 

 the Moslem University, have all combined to 

 create an atmosphere of restlessness among the 

 Mohammedan subjects of the British crown. 

 Regarding the life and death struggle between 

 the leading Islamic Power and four minor 

 kingdoms of Eastern Europe, which, he says, 

 has considerably excited the already exasperated 

 followers of the Arabian Prophet, he is of the 

 opinion that : 



The combined aggression of the Balkan States against 

 Turkey is bound to create a profound impression through- 

 out the Islamic world. If the Montenegrin attack brings 

 about a general war every Moslem will feel an irre- 

 sistible call of duty to help those who will have to 

 carry on a Hfe and death struggle in defence of their 

 honour and their rights. The feeling would be as strong 

 and natural as the spiritual and moral ties that unite the 

 followers of Islam. Some mischief-mongers have often 

 tried to read into this feeling an aggressive political 

 ambition or a burning hatred of Christendom. It is 

 nothing of the kind. The Mussalmans desire nothing 

 more than that their brethren should be allowed to live 



in peace and freedom from the aggression of the racial 

 and religious bigots in Europe. If ever a nation pos- 

 sessed the right to -defend its home and liberties the 

 Turks possess it to-day in full measure. In trying to 

 crush the force of anarchy, organised revolt, and militant 

 "confederacies" they would be striving to preserve the 

 birthrights of their nationality. No Mussalman in whose 

 breast there exists the least fraternal feeling that has 

 been the glory of his creed can see unmoved the struggle 

 of his fellcw-Moblems in a just and noble cause. He 

 would regard it as a great privilege if he can share 

 actively the stress and burden of that struggle. 



Yet we hear from other sources that the 



orthodox Moslems of India regard Turkey's 



reverses as a judgment of Allah upon the inno- 

 vations of the Young Turks. 



GERMANY'S INTEREST. 



In the December number of the Round Table 

 " a German authority " gives a German view of 

 the Balkan crisis, and declares that Germany was 

 Turcophile in a mild and temperate way, but 

 would not be greatly excited if it turned out that 

 she has backed the wrong horse. Her real con- 

 cern is how Austria-Hungary will be affected. 

 Austria-Hungary, if she preferred a p>olicy of 

 economic penetration to one of territorial expan- 

 sion, might achieve this result with very little 

 international friction ; but territorial expansion 

 could only be carried out by intimidation of war 

 against the victorious Balkan peoples, which 

 would have a very serious effect on Austria her- 

 self. Neither supporters nor enemies of her 

 dream of a triple monarchy, Austro-Hunganan- 

 Serb, are likely now to advocate the use of force. 

 The disinterested Powers, Germany, France and 

 England, formed their alliances for the sake of 

 peace and not for the sake of war, and any 

 policy driving them into war would be suicidal. 



" GLADSTONE'S VOICE." 



In the December Cornhill Mr. H. C. Thomson 

 reviews the circumstances that led up to the 

 war. The Young Turks governed well for a 

 short while, he admits, but afterwards showed 

 themselves to be just as intolerant, tyrannical, 

 and cruel as Abdul Hamid : — 



The Liberal party being in power in England, to them 

 the Balkan Christians naturally looked for assistance; the 

 declarations of that party in 1877, and again in i8g7, 

 justifying them in doing so. 



Unfominntely, it happened that the leaders of the 

 Young Turk party h.nd created an exceedingly favourable 

 impression in England. They had made many friends 

 there, who were loth to abandon faith in them, and 

 matters, therefore, were allowed to drift, and nothing 

 was done, until at last the Majknn .States felt that they 

 must rely upon their own unaided efforts to put things 

 straight: and so the Balkan League was lormed. Had 

 it not been for the memory of what XI. CFuerhoff, the 

 Bulgarian Premier, has called " Gladstone's mighty 

 voice," their faith then in British sympathy, their hope 

 of British aid, would have gone from the Balkan peoples. 



