This Day in 1912 in The Record: Oct. 12, 1912

Saturday, Oct. 12, 1912. With the Balkans on the brink of war, The Record publishes an analysis of the roots of the conflict from a nationally syndicated columnist called "The Religious Rambler," who describes the impending showdown as a "holy war."

The tiny state of Montenegro has already declared war on the Turkish-ruled Ottoman Empire, and its allies in the four-nation Balkan League - Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia - are expected to join the fight soon. As the "Rambler" notes, all four are Christian nations, "and the motive that has called them to conflict is the inextinguishable fear and hatred of their ancient Moslem oppressor. To be ignorant of the religious factor in the Balkan trouble is to miss the main highway through the situation.

"It is simply impossible for a westerner to realize the depth and intensity and pervasiveness of the religious motive in near eastern life. In [the U.S.] there is no state church, and a man's religion is separate from his politics. In the Levant, however, religion is all and in all - though by religion is not meant necessarily personal piety."

The Greek Orthodox Church dominates Balkan social and political life as well as religious life to a degree incomprehensible to Americans, the Rambler claims. Memories of the time when the Byzantine Empire ruled the Balkans also inspire Orthodox dreams of driving Islam out of Southeastern Europe. Reports of Muslim oppression of Christians under the Ottomans keep Orthodox militancy constantly inflamed. While the "monotony" of such reports has supposedly desensitized Christians in the U.S. and Western Europe, "the Greek clergy have made sure that their co-religionists learn the inciting news."


The Rambler also notes a racial factor in the conflict, and the role of a Great Power. For years, Russia has been encouraging Balkan nations to identify with Russians as fellow Slavs, until now, according to one observer, "Pan Slavism is as real an issue as Pan Islamism." Some Pan-Slavs expect Russia to help the Balkan League in its war on Islam, but whether Tsar Nicholas II will meet their expectations remains to be seen.

RPI FOOTBALL. After two straight shutout losses, the RPI football team is back on the right track despite a season-ending injury to a key player today. Left guard Diven's broken collarbone doesn't stop Jack Inglis's squad from rolling over Middlebury, 33-6.

Already playing with a backup quarterback after Georgie Barr's parents forced him to quit the team, the Engineers dominate on offense and defense. The only thing preventing a shutout is a perfectly executed fake punt and 65 yard touchdown run by the Middlebury quarterback.

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