The Balkan Web.

New York Times 100 years ago today, August 18, 1913:
    The second of Dr. Hart's articles on the Balkans, in The Sunday Times, brings out with extraordinary clearness the complexity of the problem, or problems, presenting themselves in that region to native statesmen and to the Governments of Europe. The surface of the peninsula is covered with a curiously woven web of differing nationalities, whose jealousy and animosity toward each other are intensified by religious prejudice and fanaticism. Each of the four States — for Rumania must now be included in any calculation for the future — has within its borders considerable numbers of the races dominating the other States, and has also a considerable number of its own race within the borders of the other States. There are many Rumanians in Bulgaria, of Serbs also, and some Greeks. There are Bulgarians and Greeks in Servia and its new territory. The area allotted to Greece at Bucharest contains many communities of Bulgarians and Serbs. The Albanians penetrate more or less the neighboring States, and while there is little converse movement, the situation is tangled by the hostility of Albanian tribes toward each other. Thus we have a web in which no one fibre of nationality prevails and in which the number and mixture of the fibres make any orderly combination exceedingly difficult. In the opinion of Dr. Hart, almost impossible.
    An illustration of the peculiar complexity and uncertainty of the whole body of questions involved is the development within the last fortnight of a singular rapprochement between Russia and Austria. According to the best recent advices, this has taken the form of "conversations," in which an understanding was reached that the two Powers should join in protecting Bulgaria from too great weakening at the hands of her recent allies, aided by Rumania. Now any access of friendliness between Austria and Russia has been quite without the range of reasonable expectation. Indeed, the possibility of an open rupture between these two Powers has been steadily included in all calculations as to the peace of Europe. Here they are unquestionably working together. But they are working with distinctly different motives. Russia wishes to protect Bulgaria because that State is, in a sense, a creation of her own, and any serious weakening of Bulgaria would lessen the prestige of Russia. Austria has no direct concern as to Bulgaria, which, as a protege of Russia, she would quite willingly see diminished. But at the present moment Austria sees that any diminution of Bulgaria would be to the advantage of Servia, and that, at all costs, and under any conditions, she is determined, for the present, to resist.
    To add to the confusion induced by this temporary co-operation of the two Powers that have been heretofore the most distinctly opposed to each other, we have Germany, the ally of Austria, uniting with France, the ally of Russia, in resisting the claims of these two Powers that the Treaty of Bucharest shall be held subject to revision. The difference may at any time become serious. For the moment it turns on the possession of the "port" of Kavala, on the Aegean, by the Greeks, under the Bucharest Treaty. Discussion of this concession is going on. It it can be settled amicably there will be comparative quiet in the Balkans, and in Europe over the Balkans, for some time. But the general problem remains and is a very tough one.