The reconstruction of South-Eastern Europe

SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE

the division of territory between the victors is creating between the Allies antagonisms involving the danger of war, great misgivings must be entertained by all lovers of peace and the friends of the Balkan peoples.

“Into this situation has come the separate action of Russia towards Serbia and Bulgaria, an action demanding the most earnest attention and giving rise to views, with regard to which it is our duty to define our standpoint quite clearly. Our starting point is naturally, that here also the Balkan States are independent, and that they are consequently free to choose their own method of settling their differences. They may choose war, or they may choose mediation or a tribunal of arbitration. But it is self-evident that the latter methods can only be applied on the basis of the untrammelled decision of the independent States in question and within the limits that they may establish. Any other proeedure would possess the character of an intervention and would be totally incompatible with the cardinal point of our policy, which is the independence of the Balkan States. It is also natural that the tribunal of arbitration or mediation cannot in the slightest degree limit the application of our standpoint during the definitive settlement of Balkan affairs, and it goes without saying that we would only accept a settlement that assures the true, complete independence of the Balkan States. Nor can we allow any other

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