The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-01-30 00:00:00

THE EASTERN CRISIS.

ENGLISH THREAT TO GREECE.
[Reuter's Telegrams.]
ATHENS, Jan. 23.
Lord Salisbury's statement regarding Greece and
the Balkin Question has created a painful sensation
among all classes here. The Athens newspapers, both
Ministerial and Opposition, are loud in their protests
against the English Premier's declarations.
JAN. 24.
. Yesterday Sir Horace Runabold, the English
Minister, informed M. Deliyannis that the Britrsh
Government was prepared to send a fleet into Greek
waters should the Hellenic Government persist in its
refusal to disarm, in order to prevent the possibility
of an attack upon Turkey by sea. M. DeHyannis
replied to-day, stating that the Government declined
to give way. The Greek fleet put to sea at daybreak
with sealed orders. Its destination is unknown.
_ SosrA, Jan. 24.

A special messenger has arrived here from St.
Petersburg bearing an autograph letter from the Czar
to Prince Alexander. The letter is stated to be of a
courteous character, but without political importance.
It is hoped here that a satisfactory settlement of the
question of Bulgarian union wiil be effected at Con-
stantinople, where M. Tsanoff and Gadban Effendi
have now arrived.

BELGRADE, Jan. 23.

M. Garashanin, the Prime Minister, goes to-
morrow to Nisch to confer with the King. With
reference to the reproach which is brought against
Servia_from several quarters that she is delaying the
peace negotiations, it is officially declared here that
the Porte has not yet made any sort of reply on the
subject of the choice of the place of meeting of the
Plenipotentiaries. The Official Gazette to-day pub-
lishes a list of decorations conferred on officers of
the Timok army. The First and Second Reserves,
which have just been called out, will be sent to the
frontier. The majority of the Progrevsist party are
in favour of peace on honourable conditions, if the
Bulgarian Union can no longer be prevented. The
Belgrade newspapers publish a report that some
Bulgarian troops have made a raid into the Servian
Timok country, and carried off some cattle, after-
wards returning to their own territory.

BELGRADE, Jan. 24.
- -

The continued occupation of Bregovo by the Bul-
garians creates dissatisfaction here, being regarded as
a challenge to Servia. M. Simic, late diplomatic
agent of ther Servian Government, has been Placed on
the retired list. M. J. Petrovic, ex-Minister for
War, and Generals Milutin and Jovanovics have
pensioned. The Israelite inhabitants of Pirot have
forwarded a petition to the Premier asking to be
compensated for the very heavy losses which they
sustained through the Bulgarian occupation. The
King has agreed to a proposal of the Ministry, the
purpose of which is to facilitate the conclusion of
peace. The Premier and the War and Finance
Ministers consequently set out to-day for Nisch, where
the King is staying, in order to draw up, in concert
with his Majesty, the instructions for the guidance of
the Servian Plenipotentiaries during the negotiations.
The district authorities at Yranja report that the
Bulgarians have occupied the frontier near Vlassina,
disregardinp, the neutral zone.
CONSTANTINOPLE, Jan. 23.

M. Tsaneff, the Bulgarian Minister for Foreign
Affairs, and Gadban Effendi, arrived here to-day.
The Porte has given much consideration this week to
the attitude of Greece, and it is believed that a
Turkish ironclad squadron will be ordered to cruise
in the neighbourhood of Prevesa and Salonica. It is
also expected that the Porte will address a note to
the Powers on the question of the Greek armaments.
Supplies of war material continue to arrive at Salonica
and Dedeagatch: Apprehension is felt that the peace
negotiations will not lead to a satiefactory result,
Servia being resolved not to agree to a war indemnity
or to the union of Bulgaria and Eastern Routnelia.
The relations between Prince Alexander and the
Porte are also not yet of a satisfactory character. Sir
William White continues to counsel the Porte to
come to an understanding with Bulgaria, and is stated
to have represented that Russia would have no ch.
jection to a direct understanding between the Sultan
and Prince Alexander. It is rumoured that the Porte
will shortly grant the concession for working the
Heraclea mines to a French company in considera-
tion of a largo advance to be made by the latter._

VIENNA, Jan. 23

The Servian Legaticn here has received a te!e-
gram from the Servia.n Minister for Foreign Affairs,
directing it to deny the reports that Sorvia is arm-
ing in hot haste, and to state that, on the contrary,
Servia is making every effort to expedite the peace
negotiations.
R 03117, Jan. 23.

The Italian Government has given its adhesion to
the Russian proposal that a second and more peremp-
tory summons to disarm should be addressed to
Servia, Greece, and Bulgaria.
ST. PETERSBURG, Jan. 23.
The proposal of Russia to employ more stringent
collective steps against the Balkan States, in order
to induce them to disarm, has been approved by all
the Powers except France, whose reply has not vet
been received. It is conairiered probible, that. ilia
measures contemplated will shortly be put into
execution.

TAN. 24.

The semi-official Journal de St. Petersboury, refer-
ring to the agreement among the Powers shortly to
employ more stringent measures to induce the Balkan
States to disarm, says that Europe is determined that
existing territorial conditions in the East shad be
respected. The journal, Grasehdanin, states that
there is no longer any doubt that Prince Alexander
never made the offensive remarks concerning Russian
officers which were attributed to him.

In the Italian Chambe- on Saturday Count Robi-
lant delivered an important speech on the policy of
the Government in the Balkan crisis. He said that
the Powers were at first inclined to the union of
Bulgaria and Eastern Bournelia in some form which
might be accepted without danger, but finding thii
impossible the principle of the status quo was adopted
as the only practical solution. He declined to say
whether he now considered the restoration prac-
ticable. Italy was, however, prepared to take part in
coercive action to enforce what diplomacy had failed
to bring about.

ATHENS, Jan. 25, 9.30 p.m.
A Council of Ministers will be summoned imme-
diately, under the presidency of the King.
CONSTANTINOPLE, Jan. 25.
M. Tsanoff, the Bulgarian Minister for Foreign
Affairs, yesterday presented to Kiamil Pasha, the
Grand Vizier, a letter from Prince Alexander. M.
Tsanoff subsequently visited the Ambassadors of
the Great Powers. Complete secrecy is observed
in regard to the negotiations proceeding between
Turkey and Bulgaria, but the general belief is that
an arrangement will be speedily arrived at, when a
conference will be convened to give it an inter-
national sanction. The Great Powers have informed
Servia that the negotiations for the conclusion of
peace exclusively concern Bulgaria, and have nothing
to do with the Eastern Roumelian question. Sir
Edward Thornton, British Ambassador to Turkey,
is expected to arrive here in three weeks time. In •
telligence has been received here that three Greek
war-vessels have left for Crete. A Council of
Ministers was consequently summoned this evening.
Satisfaction is expressed in Turkish circles in Lord
Salisbury's speech condemning the attitude of
Greece. The Porte to-day despatched a note to the
Powers pointing out the desirability of a prompt set-
tlement of the Greek question. Seven Turkish iron-
clads are held in readiness to proceed to sea in case
of necessity. The negotiations between the Porte
and M. Tsanoff, the Bulgarian Minister for Foreign
Affairs, are making favourable progress. M. Tsanoff
will be received in audience by the Sultan to-morrow.
and a special residence will be placed at his disposal
during his stay here.
WILHELMSHAVEN, Jan. 25

The German ironclad Prinz Friedrick Carl is being
rapidly prepared for sea, with the object, it is under-
stood, of being despatched to the Pirwus.
BUCHAREST, Jan. 26.
Private advices from a trustworthy Bulgarian
source state that the -conditions on which Turkey
bases her acceptance of the personal union of Bul-
garia and Eastern Roumelia are very moderate, and
turn principally upon the quesitiNos, j
n of
atribute.
ATHENS, 1
p.m.
A Cabinet Council, under the presidency of the
King, is now being held at the palace. Several new
regiments are to be formed.
CONSTANTINOPLE, Jan. 26.
The Porte has addressed a Circular Note to the
Powers on the question of the Greek armaments,
stating that Turkey can no longer tolerate the situa-
tion produced by the threatening war preparations on
the part of Greece, and will adopt military measures
against the Greeks upon the first provocation. It is
believed that the Greek squadron has already
arrived off Crete. In conformity with instruc-
tions from Lord Salisbury, Sir William White
yesterday informed the Porte of the action
taken by the British Government at Athens.
The Porte has demanded explanations from M.
Condouriotti, the Greek Minister, regarding the
attitude of Greece, and it is determined to take action
in the event of the Greek Government persisting in its
refusal to disarm. The fleet have not yet, however,
been ordered to sea. Several cannon of large calibre,
together with a quantity of torpedoes and ammuni-
tion, have been landed at Canes, Crete. The Turkish
troops in the island are in good condition. The
German despatch-vessel Loreley, stationed here, has
received orders to proceed to Crete to join the British
squadron.
JAN. 26, 7.15 P.M.
_ _

M. Tsanoff's audience of the Sultan, which was
arranged for to-day, has been postponed till to-
morrow. A Bulgarian Custom House has been
established at Hermanli, on the Roumelian frontier.

ST. Prrxasnuno, Jan. 26.
The semi-official Journal de St. Petersbourg, refer-
ring to-day to the refusal of M. Delyannis to yield to
the representations of the Powers, expresses the
belief that the Greek Government will nevertheless
resist the promptings of passion, seeing that the
opposite course would be all the more useless in view
of Europe's firm determination to admit no territorial
changes of any sort that could be regarded as a
departure from the stipulations of the Treaty of
, Berlin