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provinces of Turkey would soon have to pass from under the rule
of the Sublime Porte. The only question left was “how?” The Balkan
League offered to answer that question in a way satisfactory to all
unselfish interests. But the selfish interests of Europe were not served
by the League. Austria, dreaming of one day marching down to the
Aegean, saw that that hope would be shattered if a strong Balkan
Federation held the Balkan Peninsula. Italy was afraid of another
Power on the Adriatic—an unwise fear, because her true national
policy should have welcomed a new check to Austria. Russia was
not eager to welcome a Balkan Federation, in which possibly the
Slav element would not predominate and which, in any case, would
get to Constantinople inevitably in the course of events. A bevy of
eager jealousies set to work to put obstacles in the path of the Balkan
League. Those Powers which were friendly to it were mildly friendly;
those which were hostile were relentlessly hostile.
It would be perhaps too much to say that if the European Powers
had been benevolently neutral to the Balkan League it would have
survived and set firm the foundations of a Balkan Federation. But it
is reasonable to believe that an actively benevolent Europe, acting
with firmness and impartiality and without seeking to serve any
selfish aims, would have succeeded in keeping the League together
and saving the series of fratricidal wars which began in 1913 and will
be continued as soon as the present exhaustion has been relieved.
Instead of an actively benevolent there was an actively malevolent
Europe.
The plans of the Balkan League contemplated a division of
the territory which is now Albania between Greece, Servia, and
Montenegro. The decree of the Powers, issued because Austria made
a “bluffing threat” of war if Servia were allowed territory on the
Adriatic, was that Albania should be an independent kingdom. It
had at the time no cities, no railways, no roads worthy of the name,
no civilised organisation, no basis at all of national life. Several
different racial types and religions found a shelter within its area. The
only useful purpose that could be served by creating Albania as an
independent State was to give the Balkan League a cause of disunion,
and to provide a pied-à-terre for Austria for future operations in the
Balkans. If the “Holy Roman Empire” had abandoned all thought of
getting to the Aegean there would have been no Albania.
The Balkan League was already very shaky when this bone of
contention was thrown among its members. Servia, Montenegro, and
Greece, now deprived of a share of their spoil, sought to obtain from
Bulgaria, who was in the position, as it were, of residuary legatee,
some concessions out of her share. Bulgaria, embittered at the time
by the fact that Roumania had taken advantage of the situation
to demand a territorial grant south of the Danube, was unwisely
obstinate and would make no concession to any of her partners.
The issue had to be fought out through a disastrous war in which
Bulgaria, Servia, and Greece were bled further of their manhood,
already sadly thinned in the war with Turkey.
The Albania which was the chief of the causes of that fratricidal
war was duly constituted, and Prince William of Wied appointed
Mpret or King. At once there was trouble on all the Albanian
boundaries, but chiefly in the south, where the province of Epirus
wished to be Greek and rose in revolt against the new Albanian
Government. The effect of that revolt, which was generally
successful, was that the Epirus district seems likely to win a measure
of local government or Home Rule founded on the following chief
conditions:
The country is divided into two administrative districts known as
Koritza and Argyrocastro. These will be governed by two Prefects
nominated by the Albanian Government. In all local councils the number
of elected members is to be three in excess of the ex officio members.
All existing Greek religious institutions and privileges are to remain
unaltered.
The Greek language is to be taught in the three first classes of the
popular schools, together with the Albanian language. In the schools of
purely Greek communities only the Greek language will be taught.
The Greek language is to be recognised in matters of local
administration and the Law Courts in the two districts.
The native Epirotes are to remain armed, and are to be incorporated in
the gendarmerie commanded by Dutch officers. All other volunteers are to
leave the country.
Albania is to grant a full amnesty.
The new regime is to be organised and its execution controlled by
the International Commission, and the Commissioners are to visit the
country to see that its provisions are being given effect to.
Thus already it is recognised that within the small territory of
Albania there has been included one district which is so Greek in
sympathy that it cannot be administered under Albanian law.
The next development in Albania was that Essad Pasha, the