Austria And The Near East.

New York Times 100 years ago today, September 26, 1912:
    The Austrian Government speaks in two voices as to the prospects in the Near East. The Foreign Minister, Count von Berchtold, speaks soothingly and with an air of confidence as to the agreement of the Powers in the proposals recently submitted by him to them; but he gives no clear idea of what the proposals were or by what means they were to be carried out. He pats the present Government of Turkey on the back and credits it with honorable intentions, but he does not say what Turkey has been asked to do, or whether it will or can do it. And he follows these ambiguous remarks with the following grave statement:
    Diplomacy is keeping guard to prevent the threatened conflict and stifle a possible Balkan conflagration. Our geographical position places us near the area of disturbance, and the great interests of the monarchy are at stake. Only when we are armed by land and sea can we look to the future with easy minds.
    It is to be noted that the Emperor, Francis Joseph, usually ready to say all that he can for peace, omits in his address to the delegations all reference to the prospect of peace. Meanwhile the Balkan States are in an extraordinary ferment. Servia is importing arms and ammunition. Bulgaria is the scene of great excitement, and the Government is having the utmost difficulty in restraining the war feeling. Fighting is going on along the border of Turkey and Montenegro. The political societies in Crete and in Greece are agitating against Turkey. Turkey, on the other hand, seeming to be about to conclude terms with Italy, has ordered the mobilization of 50,000 troops for Autumn manoeuvres on the plains of Adrianople, and within striking distance of the southern frontier of Bulgaria. If the Powers hope to prevent some sort of a conflict, which it would be very hard to delimit, or to localize, they must act promptly and in concert. We have nothing to show that they will act in full concert except the vague intimations of the Austrian Minister. We do have, however, the formal assurance of Count von Berchtold and of Herr von Bethmann-hollweg, the German Minister, that at their recent meeting they had reached an agreement as to a policy which remains unknown to the public, and perhaps unknown to the other Powers. In these circumstances there is more meaning in Count Berchtold's patriotic assertion that Austria can look with an easy mind to the future only when armed by land and sea than there is in his amiable and indeterminate expressions as to general harmony. If we assume that neither Turkey nor the Powers other than Germany find in the Austrian suggestion a ground on which they can unite, it is not an unreasonable inference that Austria, backed by Germany, may feel herself safe and justified in stepping in and trying to carry out any plan that she and Germany may find desirable. It is this possibility that most disturbs the European Chancelleries at the present moment. It is with regard to this that developments will be most eagerly and anxiously watched.