ner he would hold aloof.

This was, in fact, the situation of all the Balkan States when the
Great War began, with the exception, of course, of Serbia, which had
been directly attacked. Rumania, Bulgaria, and Greece very hastily
announced their complete neutrality to each other as well as to the
world at large, though Greece was in the very awkward position of
having signed a defensive treaty with Serbia.

Though the Balkan situation has always been considered very
complicated, certain broad facts may be laid down which will serve as
a key to a fair understanding of the motives behind each of the
various moves being made on the Balkan chess board.

First of all, it must be realized that popular sentiment plays a much
smaller part in Balkan politics than it does in such countries as
England, France and our own country. Though each is more or less
democratic in form, none of these governments is really controlled by
its people in matters requiring such quick decisions as war. At the
head of each of the Balkan States is a monarch surrounded by a
governing clique who have full authority in military matters. Each of
these cliques has only one aim in mind: How shall it increase the area
of its territory, or at least save itself from losing any of what it
already controls?

Rumania, being of Latin blood, has no natural affinity with either of
the big fighting powers that concern her: Austria or Russia. In her
case, therefore, sympathy may be entirely eliminated. She does,
however, covet a piece of Austrian territory, Transylvania, in which
there is a substantial Rumanian population which has always been
rather badly treated by Austria.

Bulgaria, like Russia, is Slavic. Added to that, Bulgaria owes her
freedom to Russian arms. Because of these two reasons there is a very
strong sentiment among the people in favor of Russia. Russian
political intrigues during the past thirty years have done a great
deal, however, in undermining this kindly feeling among the more
intelligent Bulgarians. And then Russia's ambition to possess herself
of the Bosphorus as an outlet into the Mediterranean is directly
contrary to the ambitions of the governing clique of Bulgaria, which
also has its eyes on Constantinople.

Toward the Austrians the Bulgarians feel nothing but dislike:
"Schwabs," they call them contemptuously. Moreover, Austria's
contemplated pathway to Saloniki would cut down through Macedonia,
another territory coveted by Bulg