Note and Comment by Editor

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. · Aug 21, 1913

Note and Comment

By Editor

The Balkan War

THE great cost in men and means of the strife in the Balkan Peninsula during the last year, with the present situation and outlook, is summarized by the Washington Herald of August 12, as follows:—

Peace has been concluded between Roumania and Bulgaria. By the treaty of Bucharest the former secures a considerable accession of territory south of the Danube, including the strong fortress of Silistria on that river and the port of Baltjik on the Euxine. This is in compensation for part of Bessarabia and the (Kilia) mouth of the Danube taken from Roumania by Russia in 1878. Bucharest thus is to have an approach to navigable salt water by a shorter route than at present over the fever-laden marshes of the Dobrudja.

Bulgaria's new frontier toward Servia follows the watershed to the west of the Struma River to the town of Strumitza. In the main, this line concurs with the eastern boundary of the vilayet of Monastir, all of which, it would seem, falls to Servia.

Greece gets practically the whole of Macedonia, together with the ports of Kavala and Orfano, east of the peninsula of Chalkis and the important harbor of Saloniki. The city of Seres, recently the scene of a horrible massacre, also is a valuable prize drawn by the Greeks.

The London peace conference has fixed the boundaries of Albania toward Servia and Montenegro. The southern frontier still remains to be determined. But it is settled that Greece will not be permitted to extend her conquests beyond Janina. Greece claims the islands in the Ægean Sea, including Lemnos, guarding the entrance to the Bosporus.

Ethnically, also historically, these islands are Hellenic, but geographically a number of them are part of Asia Minor. Others again were captured and occupied by Italy during the Tripolitan war, but were to be returned to Turkey. It is not so sure that Italy would be willing to cede them to a possible future commercial and naval rival in the Mediterranean, as Greece may become.

Enver Pasha's boast that Turkey intends to retain Adrianople is not likely to cause any difficulties, for the sultan has been given to understand that the terms of the London treaty must be respected. We believe that the sublime porte will be glad to yield to the powers and thus "save its face" in Europe. The struggle in southeastern Europe, beginning with the attack upon Turkey by the allies and ending with the attack upon Bulgaria by Servia and Greece, caused 358,000 lives to be sacrificed, not counting the massacres. The expenditure for war ammunition alone is given as $1,250,000,000. Bulgaria lost 80,000 soldiers; Servia, 13,000; Greece, 10,000; Montenegro, 8,000, and Turkey, 100,000. In the first war Turkey was forced to spend $400,000,000; Bulgaria, $300,000,000; Servia, $160,000,000; Greece, $70,000,000, and Montenegro, $400,000. The second war, though much shorter, was much more disastrous. Bulgaria lost 60,000 dead; Servia, 40,000, and Greece 30,000. This war cost Bulgaria an additional $150,000,000; Servia, $100,000,000, and Greece, $50,000,000.