Especially the English Government, in the course of the last two years,
asserted frequently and publicly, and was supported by The Westminster
Gazette and a number of influential English newspapers in the assertion,
that Great Britain and the German Empire during the Balkan crisis of the
last few years had always met on the same platform for the preservation
of peace. The late Secretary of State, von Kiderlen-Waechter, his
successor, Mr. von Jagow, and the Imperial Chancellor, von
Bethmann-Hollweg, likewise declared repeatedly in the Reichstag, how
great their satisfaction was that a close and confidential diplomatic
co-operation with Great Britain, especially in questions concerning the
Near East, had become a fact. And it has to be acknowledged today that
at that time the German and British interests in the Near East were
identical or at any rate ran in parallel lines.
The collapse of European Turkey in the war against the Balkan Alliance
created an entirely new situation. At first Bulgaria was victorious and
great, then it was beaten and humiliated by the others with the
intellectual help of Russia. There could be no doubt about Russia's
intentions: she was preparing for the total subjection of weakened
Turkey and for taking possession of the Dardanelles and Constantinople
in order to rule from this powerful position Turkey and the other Balkan
States.
Pages:
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136