e armed with French
cannon and machine guns, and their military advisers were French and
Russians. While the big nations managed to keep out of the war
themselves, all were strongly interested in one side or the other.

The result was a complete surprise to Austria and Germany. To their
consternation and disgust, the four little nations made short work of
the Turkish troops. In eight months, Turkey was thoroughly beaten, and
the allies were ready to put through their program of dividing up the
spoils.

And now, once more, the great powers meddled, and by their
interference laid the foundation for future wars and misery. Austria
and Germany saw their path to Constantinople and the east cut right in
two. Their railroads, instead of passing through a series of countries
under German control, now were to be cut asunder by an arm of Slavic
states under Russian protection, which would certainly stop German
progress toward Asia.

With the map as it had been before the war of 1912, there was one
little strip of territory, called the Sanjak of Novibazar, between
Serbia and Montenegro, which connected Turkey with Austria. To be
sure, this country was inhabited almost entirely by Serbians, but so
long as it was under the military control of Austria and Turkey,
German railway trains bound for the east could traverse it. Now Serbia
and Montenegro proposed to divide this country up between themselves.
Serbia, by gaining her seaport on the Adriatic, could send her trade
upon the water to find new markets in Italy, Spain, and France.

[Illustration: Durazzo]

The Italians had always wanted to control the Adriatic Sea. They
longed for the time when the cities of Trieste and Pola should be
turned over to them by Austria. The cities of Durazzo (du rat'zo)
and Avlona on the Albanian coast were inhabited by many Italians, and
Italy had always cherished the hope that they might belong to her.
Therefore, the Italians did not take kindly to the Serbian program of
seizing this coast. At any rate, as soon as the four little countries
announced their intention of dividing up Turkey in Europe among
themselves, Austria, Germany, and Italy raised a great clamor.

Another meeting of representatives of the great powers was held, and
once more the Germans were able to carry their point. Instead of
allowing the four little countries to divide up the conquered land
between them, the powers made a fifth small country, the kingdom of
Albania, and b