OCR Text |
Show I TURK TERMS Counter Proposals Unacceptable Un-acceptable They Wire Constantinople London, Dec. 2S "These terms do not even form tho basis for negotiations," negotia-tions," was tho unanimous outcry of the peace envoys of the allied Balkan Bal-kan nations today after Rechad Pasha, the chief Turkish delegate, had read the reply he had recehed from Constantinople to his request for instructions. The sitting of the conference today nssuulcd quite different aspect from thaht of its last meeting, at which the Servian envoy read the terms offered of-fered by tho allies. Today, even while Rechnd Pasha was engaged in reading the Turkish propositions, the Balkan delegates could not refrain from manifesting their astonishment and indignation by means of gestures and expressive exclamations. "Why did we fight, then?" "What is the return for our victory'" "Doesn't the blood shed by 100,000 glorious victims deserve some other reward?" "It is a mockery and not a serious conference1" were some of the sharp ejaculations which crossed the picture pic-ture gallery in St. James' palace After the conference had decided to adjourn until Monday, the conversation conversa-tion became even more animated. Pasha Only Calm One. Rechad Pasha was the only calm person present. With his right hand in his trouser pocket and his left hand caressing his beard as though hiding a smile, he stood without uttering ut-tering a word. Today's meeting, which might appear ap-pear to superficial observers, to be bordering on a rupture, must, according accord-ing to qualified opinion, be interpreted otherwise Both sides, according to this opinion, opin-ion, have now laid out their aspirations aspira-tions and neither of them expects to lealize their claims The members of the Balkan league protested that they recognized the situation sit-uation which arose from the war and gae scant support to the plans of the Turkish. "You must remember that the allied al-lied troops are still at the Tchatalja lines. Unless you are willing to negotiate nego-tiate on the basis of the dismemberment dismember-ment of European Turkey we cannot sgree." London, Dec. 2S. The peace en-vos en-vos representing the Balkan allies and the Turkish empire met again in SL James Palace toda and after an hour and a half discussion decided on a further adjournment until -i o'clock Monday afternoon The delegates of Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, Servia and Turkey gathered gath-ered at 11 o'clock. It was the turn of the Turks to preside and Rechad Pasha look the chair. Business began at once, the first matter on hand being the presentation presenta-tion by the Turkish plenipotentiaries of the counte proposals put forward by the Ottoman government in reply to those offered by the Balkan allies. al-lies. The Balkan representatives found the Turkish conditions quite unacceptable unaccept-able and after an hour and a half discussion without progress the Turkish Turk-ish delegates said they must again communicate with their government at Constantinople. The official story of the sixth session ses-sion of the peace conference, issued immediately after Its adjournment, says ' 'The Turkish delogates having presented pre-sented their counter proposals, the delegates of the Ballcan allies made their observations and the meeting was adjourned until Monday." The proposals presented by the Ottoman Ot-toman delegates were: "First, the prince of Adrinnople to remain under tho direct administration administra-tion of Turkey. "Second, Macedonia to be converted convert-ed into a principality with Salonlki as its capital. The principality to be under the suzerainty of the sultan of Turkey but governed by a prince chosen by the Bakan allies and nominated nom-inated by the sultan of Turkey. This prince to be a Protestant nnd from a neutral state. , "Third, Albania to be autonomous under the sovereignty of the sultan and governed by n prince of the imperial im-perial Ottoman family, who is to be chosen for a term of five years, with the possibility of a renewal of his appointment. "Fourth, all the islands in the Aegean sea to remain Turkish 'Fifth, the Cretan question not to be one for the decision of the conference, con-ference, as it is a matter between Turkey and the great European powers." pow-ers." Interest again has shifted from this phase of the situation and is centered center-ed tonight in the question of what are the Intentions of Austria with respect to the Balkans. The peace delegates are prepared to consider the reply of the Ottoman government and its counter proposals, startling as the latter may be, as simply pointing to future negotiations. negotia-tions. It Is well known that Turkey hns not the least hope of obtaining what she will demand and also that she has no intention or lesuming a war that may result in further disaster Turks Plot to Divide Allies. That this is the situation seems to receive confirmation from the fact that seeral attempts already have been made unofficially by members of the Turkish delegation to get the Monteuergrin, Servian and Greek delegates del-egates to recede from the demand that Adrianople be surrendered, promising prom-ising in return that Turkey will not object to their respective" enlargements enlarge-ments territorially. These advances, and reports emnnatiug from Constantinople Con-stantinople that Bulgaria is negotiating negotiat-ing terms direct with Turkey there, are considered to have as their basic-purposes basic-purposes an attempt to divide the allies. The representatives of tho Balkan states have resisted all temptations placed in their way and todav present as united a front as they did tho first 'Jay of the negotiations and are just as determined as over to have their own way in concluding peace Excitement Over Austria Growing. Instead of diminishing, excitement is glowing among the Servian and Montenegrin delegations over what are considered Austria's plans in the Balkans. That the dual monarch seems determined to carry out these plans is considered proven by the fact that she has not yet began to demobolize the big army she recently recent-ly called to the colors. It is now considered certain that at the resumption resump-tion of the ambassadorial conference, confer-ence, January 2, Austria will urge the representatives of Europe to make the territory of autonomous Albania as largo as possible, including In it Parisrend, Djacova and Scutari. Tempting Montenegro. Meanwhile. Austria Is tempting Montenegro by proposing in exchange for Austria's support and the occupation occupa-tion of Soutari by Montenegro that Austria be given possession of the mountains dominating Cattaro, which thus would become such an impregnable impregna-ble naval stronghold as to make the Vienna government the real master of the Adriatic sea. Italy, the power chiefly interested, opposes a scheme that gives her rival the coveted supremacy on the sea which once was considered a Venetian lake Russia is anxious to prevent tho Austrian project, which, if successful, suc-cessful, would stifle foreer the Muscovite Mus-covite ambition to obtain an outlet in the Adriatic. Montenegro considers that the schemo would be fatal to her very existence, as Scutari is the real soul of the country, while the loss of the mountains above Cattaro, besides depriving de-priving her of a strong weapon against Austria, would put the country In Austrian hands as from these moun-ing moun-ing cannons would be an easy matter. mat-ter. The scrxian delegation observes that it has only asked a port for the free development of the country without Austrian intervention. "This port," the Servians say, "although "al-though already conquered by our arms has been taken from us in deference de-ference to the will of Austiia. The triple onto also meekly acquiesed to the will of the triple alliance w'hen it consented to the formation of an artificial Albania composed of all the territories which Austria covets for herself, granting to Servia Instead a commercial port, the only guarantees of which are illusory "If official Albania should be dominated dom-inated by Austria a policy of Chicane could be inaugurated and cause all imaginable difficulty to Servian com-' com-' merce. Italian support would be only theoretical, as Italy never would fight Austria to guaiantec Servia a neutral port. Triple Entente Weak. "The question of a poit is trifling if placed by itself, but behind it is the question Whether the Balkans are to be enslaved to the triple alliance or emancipated. The emancipation of the Balkans, nchieed b. splendid victories vic-tories of the allies, threatens to be lost through inconceivable weakness of the triple entente. The triple entente en-tente urges peace at any cost, even yielding on the frontiers of Albania. It is proposed to turn Senia out of Durazzo because she occupied it and to deprive Montenegro of Scutari because be-cause she did not take It. ''Nobody proposes to enlarge Albania Al-bania over the southern territories which the Greeks have not conquered or to deprive Bulgaria of such of the fruits of her victory. "Only Servia and Montenegro are to be sacrificed in order to allow Austria Aus-tria permanent intervention in the Balkans and preent a final settlement settle-ment of the status of the peninsula. "The Austrian declares he desires no territorial aggrandizement but, through his mobilization, he prevents a solution of the Balkan problem and imposes the formation of Albania into in-to territories which Austria will seize at the first opportunity. German policv will be definitely substituted in the Orient for the Balkanic Sla equilibrium if the triple entente makes this last abdication before the trinle alliance The Balkan Slavs realize that not even a victorious war can gain for them conditions necessary to their political, moral and economic development and find that their safetv lies in a close understanding with Austria. "This would cause a great transformation transfor-mation in the status of the Orient as Germany and Austria, freed from the nightmare of a great Servian state would dominate the Balkans unopposed, unop-posed, having in their hands the markets mar-kets and a route to India Tf tho triple entente desires this they had better say so frankly." Reports received from Contantlnople stating that the military officers had been ordered to the Tchatalia lines caused a ripple of excitement here to. dav. The -explanation given is that thev were sent back because tho soldiers sol-diers had grown mutinous, saying the officers were enjoying themselves in the capital while they were enduring hardships in the trenches. |