The Balkans- a history of Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, Rumania, Turkey
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| The Balkans- a history |
Excerpt from the introduction
The authors of this volume have not worked in conjunction. Widely separated, engaged on other duties, and pressed for time, we have had no opportunity for an interchange of views. Each must be held responsible, therefore, for his own section alone. If there are any discrepancies in our writings (it is not unlikely in so disputed a field of history) we can only regret an unfortunate result of the circumstances. Owing to rapid change in the relations of our country to the several Balkan peoples, the tone of a section written earlier may differ from that of another written later.
It may be well to state that the sections on Serbia and Bulgaria were finished before the decisive Balkan developments of the past two months. Those in Greece and Romania represent only a little later stage of the evolution. That on Turkey compiled between one mission abroad and another, was the latest to be finished. If our sympathies are not all the same, nor given equally to friends and foes, none of us would find it possible to indite a Hymn of Hate about any Balkan people.
Every one of these people, on whatever side he be fighting today, has a past worthy of more than our respect and interwoven in some intimate way with our history. That any one of them is arrayed against us today is not to be laid entirely or chiefly at its own door. They are all fine people who have not obtained their proper places in the sun.
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