The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-05-08 00:00:00

THE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER.

THE EASTERN CRISIS.

ATHENS, May 2.
The situation is very strained, and it is difficult to
foresee any amicable settlement. Thus far the
Government shows no disposition to make more pre-
cise propositions respecting disarmament, and the
Ministerial declarations to-day are uncompromising.
VIENNA, May 2.
It has been stated that a disagreement had arisen
between several of the Powers as to the action which
should now be taken towaids the Greek Government.
It seems, however, that there has been no more than
the differences of opinion inevitable in all negotia-
tions, and that on the question of maintaining the
ultimatum and requiring an explicit answer to it, the
five Powers which presented the ultimatum have re-
mained in harmony. The semi-official Flemdenllatt
comments on the evasive nature of the replies which
M. Delyannis has hitherto given, and re-minds him
that he has been making a number of declarations
which were not called for by the ultimatum.
That instrument did not touch upon the question
of Greece's claims, but confined itself to setting
forth that the Greek armaments were a danger to
European peace, and it requested that within eight
days orders might be given to place the Greek army
on a peace footing. M. Delyannis has pretended to
believe that he had been summoned to effect complete
disarmament within a week, and his other recent
utterances on the crisis have been of a piece with this
equivocation. Thus he has denied to M. de Molly
that he ever spoke of a French mediation, whereas
he used these very words in his circular to the Pre-
fects. He has also denied that he over refused to
disarm at the dictation of the Powers, whereas this
declaration has two or three times been communicated
to the world in official telegrams from Athens, and,
further, though in a less categorical form, in instruc-
tions sent to Greece's envoys abroad. M. Delyannis
has, in fact, sent two, if not more contumacious
answers to the ultimatum. One which arrived
here on Thursday was despatched to the
Greek Charg6 d'Affaires, who was instructed
to communicate its contents to the Vienna
Cabinet; and, as reported in the Times of Friday,
it said that Greece could not disarm under pressure
from the Powers, though it would yield to friendly
intercession. The reply, which arrived on Friday,
was the more formal answer to the Powers direct,
but it had to be read in connection with the instruc-
tions previously sent to the Envoys and communi-
cated by them to the different Cabinets, and it prac-
tically meant that M. Delyannis expected that the
ultimatum would be withdrawn before he advised the
King to give orders for disarming. Although there
is but one day remaining out of the eight allowed for
the initial step towards disarmament, we have no
news up to this evening of the Greek Government
having abandoned its refractory attitude, and it is
generally believed that M. Delyannis will give as
much trouble as possible to the end. Meanwhile it
is the complaint in diplomatic circles that his sub-
terfuges and retractatious make it exceedingly dif-
ficult for the Powers to have any dealings with
The Imperial firraan conferring the Governorship
of Eastern Roumelia on the Prince of Bulgaria runs
as follows: " In conformity with the stipulations of
the Treaty of Berlin, and with the arrangement rela-
tive to the province of East Roumelia which was
agreed upon and confirmed by the Plenipotenciaries
of the signatory Powers of the said Treaty assembled
in conference with our capital, and communicated to
your Highness by our Grand Vizierate, it has been
decided to confide to your intelligence and fidelity the
general government of the province. This decision
having b, en submitted to our Imperial sanction, it
has pleased us, in our sovereign favour and ever-
increasing confidence in you, to issue this 6th day of
the month of the year 1303, a decree in virtue of which
the administration of Eastern Roumelia is intrusted
to your met its and capacity. In consequence, our pre-
sent firmsn conferring on you these functions has been
delivered by our Imperial Divan. It follows that
your Highness will take care, with the intelligence
and devotion which characterise you, rightly to
govern the provinces according to our magnanimous
intentions, and to exert all your efforts conformably
with our most cherished desire to assure order and
tranquility in East Roumelia, as also the welfare and
happiness of the whole population without distinction.
Thereby you will be carrying out the arrangement
already mentioned, and earn for yourself more and
more our high Imperial goodwill."
Madjid Pasha has been appointed one of the Com-
missioners for revising the Organic Statute of Eastern
Roumelia in place af Haider Effendi, whose nomina-
tion was first announced. Madjid is said to have
been selected at the special request of Prince
Alexander.

CONSTANTIN OPLE, May 1.

In view of the expected disarmament of Greece,
naval preparations here are suspended. Fifty Tre-
bizonde boats, with crews of 10 to 12 men each, en-
gaged for special service for the defence of Con-
stantinople, have Leen paid off, and orders sent to the
ports in the Black Sea to e.nbark no more men of the
Naval Reserve.
LATER.

The official intelligence indicating the approach-
ing disarmament of Greece as the effect of the
last urgent recommendation of the Great Powers,
backed by a naval demonstration implying a
blockade of the Greek seaboard in case of refusal,
has not completely dispelled public distrust. The
generally prevalent conviction remains that peace
will only be securely established after some con-
cassion, however slight, to Greek national feeling, ob-
tained either through the intervention of diplomatic
actio or by the spontaneous initiative of the Sultan.
There is, moreover, an undercurrent of feeling that
should Greece show less uncompromising tenacity in
her extreme demands, the Porte perhaps would not
display a too stubborn attitude of resistance, and
would listen to reasonable proposals by which a cordial
understanding may be consolidated between two
neighbouring countries. An unmistakable impression
prevails that without mutual concession there will be
no security against renewed complications at anT
-noment.

ATIIENS, May 3, 1.30 p.m*
The situation is becoming complicated and critical.
The Government does not appear to he willing to
make any further concessions, and considers it im-
possible to comply with the demand of the Powers to
fix a term for disarmament, such a demand consti-
tuting in its opininn an interference in the internal
affairs of Greece. The only alternative seems to be
the resignation of the present Ministry, but this is
rendered difficult by an article published by to-day's
Horn, pointing out that the Opposition cannot take
office in the present situation of affairs, with which
the Delyannis Government must be left to deal. The
representatives of the Powers have not yet received
instructions regarding the steps to be taken at the
expiration at seven o'clock this evening of the term
fixed by the Ultimatum. They are now assemblel
at the residence of Sir Horace Rumbold.

PARIS, May 3.
M. de Freycinet has telegraphed a despatch to
the French representatives abroad requesting them
to inform the Governments to which they are accre-
dited that Count de Moiiy, the French Minister at
Athens, has been instructed to remind M. Delyannis
categorically that France, when taking her recent
friendly step at Athens, made no promise of any kind
to Greece, nor offered her mediation in any way.
The French Government, while laying stress upon
the feelings of friendship entertained by France for
Greece, confined itself to counselling Greece to dis-
arm as vpeedily as possible conformity with the
demand madc by the Powers
VIENNA, May 3.
According to a despatch from Canes, the Fronch
Consul ht that place has given an official contradic-
tion to the report that the French Government has
promised any extension of territory to Greece in the
event of disarmament. The Consul added that Count
de Maly was making strong efforts at Athens to
induce Greece to make the Powers a promise of im-
mediate disarmament.

CANDIA, May 3.
her Majesty's corvette Caryefort and the Italian
despatch boat Colonna left Soda Bay to-day for the
Pirmus. The Italian torpedo rain Giovanni Bausen
and the torcedo boat Polcevera left to-day on their
return to Italy. Two British torpedo boats have
arrived in Soda Bay.

ATHENS, May 4.
The Proia prints this morning without comment
several lines from the leading articles of the Times of
the 27th and 28th of last month apparently showing
that Mr. Delyannis has not promised demobilisation.
The situation remains the same, and Ministers will
not embark before Thursday, Wednesday being the
King's le te. The fleet at Soda Bay yesterday stowed
their top-hamper in readiness to leave.
VIENNA, May zle
It must be observed of .to-day's nJws from Athens,
as of Greek news in general for some time past, that
M. Delyannis's censorship over telegrams allow little
except what is favourable to the Government to pass. In
several newspaper offices I have heard complaints that
the telegrams of correspondents frana Athens have been
systematically delayed in transmission, curtailed, and
in some cases altered so that the meaning of the
senders were perverted. According to such intern- ,
gence as we have to-day, the diplomatists at Athens
have shown a disposition to accept the smallest hint
at disarmament as an earnest of M. Delyannis's inten-
tions to obey the ultimatum. M. Delyannis, however,
is said to reject all demands for guarantees as deroga-
tory to Greece's dignity. The object of the official
telegrams from Athens is to show that Russia and
Italy have begun to waver on the question of enforcing
the ultimatum, and that the other Powers, who would
willingly accept a French guarantee, will have to
abate their pretensions because M. Delyannis
will hear of no guarantee, and will not even
add a word of promise himself to what he
has already said. From Constantinople it is reported
that the question of paying the troops which have
been massed in Europe is beginning to cause uneasi-
ness. The soldiers, many thousands of whom were
summoned from Asia Minor, have not received a
piastre'of pay; yet they will have to be settled with
in some fashion before they are cEsbandecl, and it is
feared that many of them may mutiny if paid in
bonds instead of cash. Captain Mathieu and M.
Rognet have been appointed delegates from Bulgaria
for the mixed Bulgaro-Roumanian Commission which
is to settle the boundaries of the Dobrudscha. The
term "Southern Bulgaria" to express Eastern Rou-
melia, which during the period antecedent to the
Convention had more or less come into use, has ceaseci
to be employed in official documeute,