The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1912.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3688, 25 November 1912, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1912.

Although every effort with a view to peace is being put Is More Trouble forth in connecAhead? tion with the Balkans trouble it is not at all certain that complications involving. war between some of the great Powers may not yet ensue. It will be noted, for instance, that the messages which we publish this morning indicate that, unless great care be exercised Russia and Austria may find themselves engaged on opposite sides in a much greater struggle than that which has been engaging attention now for some weeks. As is wellknown the particular bone of contention between these countries relates for the most part to the claim of Servia to be ml lowed a seaport on the Ad 7 riatic Sea as a share of the spoils which will be her lot as a result of the j

■war between the Allies and the Turks. What Servia would dearly like in this regard is, it is clear, possession of the port of Durazzo, which lies about 50 miles south of Scutari. No doubt also it would suit Servia “right down tothe ground” if a strip of coastal territory around Durazzo were thrown in. When the matter was being hotly debated about a fortnight ago Austria, it may heJrocallod, made it pretty clear that#; would resist this particular Servian claim. On her behalf it was contended, and it is now again arguedjf that if Servia got Durazzo or any 4th er port on the Adriatic Sea it wpuld seriously interfere with her traAe. This morning’s mesages, it will by seen, explain that what Austria i/aiming at is the conservation of the /thole of her trade in the Levant and 'that this can only be accomplished by the maintenance of a free route to Salonika. But Servia has- been cliamr pioned all along in her demand by Russia: hence the possibility of further strife. The “Novoe Vfeyma”, for example, went so far as to warn Austria that if she declared war over the matter “it would raise the question as to whether she (Austria) also was under a superannuated regime and the supporter of threadbare fictions!” Now the position to-day is, it seems, that Austria has intimated that it will be content to continue n conciliatory attitude towards Servia’s approach to the Adriatic so long as no sea-hound territorial acquisitions are involved. Concurrent with this announcement, however, are ugly rumors to the effect that great excitement prevails in Austria over the reported speedy and extensive mobilisation of Russia’s troops on her frontier, u the reports be correct Austria, too, is mobilising expeditiously and already has 300,000 men on the borders of Servia. The position is a very interesting one and would seem to resolve itself into this: Servian troops are hastening towards Durazzo, under the belief that the Great Powers will agree to her possession of the port ultimately, provided that she lias previously been in occupation of it. With a view to frightening Servia against attempting to occupy Durazzo Austria is indulging in all manner of threats. It remains to be seen whether Servia will allow herself to be “bluffed” out of her prey by Austria or whether, with the assistance of Russia, she will be able to make Austria back down.