ascendant
in each country. The Servians were anxious to avenge Slivnitza, and the
Greeks still further to redeem themselves from the reputation of 1897.
Had peace been signed in January, there is little doubt that a greater
spirit of conciliation would have prevailed. The Young Turks were
universally condemned at that time for refusing to yield; but had they
deliberately adopted Abdul Hamid's policy of playing off one people
against another, they could not have succeeded better than by their
determination to fight.

Even before the fall of Adrianople, on March 26th, military conflicts
had taken place between Bulgarians and Servians and between Bulgarians
and Greeks. On March 12th a pitched battle occurred between the latter
at Nigrita; and though a mixed commission at once drew up a code of
regulations for use in towns occupied by joint armies, not the
slightest attention was subsequently paid to it. The Servians shortly
afterward expelled the manager of the branch of the National Bulgarian
Bank at Monastir, a step which drew forth emphatic protests from Sofia
against the policy of Serbizing districts in anticipation of the final
settlement. On April 17th, M. Pashitch informed Bulgaria that the
Government would refuse to be bound by the terms of the preliminary
treaty of March, 1912. From that date until the signing of the treaty
of peace with Turkey on May 31st, the recent allies carried on an
unofficial war, which consisted of combats of extermination marked by
inhuman rage. After that event each of the combatants strained every
nerve to push forward its armies and to possess new territories, while
each continued to accuse the other of violating every principle of
international law.

The ambassadors of the great Powers at the capitals of the Balkan
States made urgent representations to the Balkan Governments to
restrain their armies, but without effect. On June 10th the Servian
Government dispatched a note to Sofia demanding a categorical answer to
the Servian demand for a revision of the preliminary treaty. On July
11th the Czar telegraphed to King Peter and King Ferdinand appealing to
them to avoid a fratricidal war, reminding them of his position as
arbitrator under the preliminary treaty and warning them that he would
hold responsible whichever state appealed to force. "The state which
begins war will be responsible before the Slav cause." This well-meant
action had an effect the opposite of that hoped for. In