Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-01-09
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FOREIGN.
Enxland's PrOMered Mediation
Rejected Point-Blank.
Russia Requires. Overtures Il
COem from the Porte Direct.

Russia Requires. Overtures {
COem from the Porte Direct.
Concessions Required In Ad
vance az a Guaranty Of
i Good Faith.
IA New lnterprstatlon Of the Attitud
| Of England.
i Special by Cable to the Mo. Republican.
ENGLAND's OFFERED MEDIATION RE
/ JECTED BY RUSSIA.
| LONDON, Jan, 1.-England's oGere'
mediation has been refused poin
blank, though not offensively. Th
Russian answer is not yet received
but is on it's way. 1t is to the effec
that while the Gar wishes peace ant
is ready to conclude the war on
SUCH TERMS
as Russia would consider acceptable
yet no steps can be taken until Tur.
key is willing to give preliminary
guarantees of her desire for actua
peace and not merely for delay. The
course suggested is for Turkey to
make a proposition for armistice di.
rectly to the Russian COMMANDMENTS
chief in the field, so that the first steps
may be arranged on
MILITARY BASIS.
1t is known that should an armis-
tice be asked, the Russians will de-
mand the surrender Of Rustchuk and
Silistria fortresses as guarantees. 1t
seems quite impossible that Turkey
should accept such terms for . mere
truce which would leave her power
less to resist in the event of negotia-
tions failing.
PRINCE REUss,
German ambassador at Constantine.
pie, gives the following as the terms
upon which Russia will treat: Tur-
keys acceptance of the conclusions of
conference as regards Bulgaria
opening of the Dardanelles to Rus.
sian war ships; independence OF
Roumania concessions to Servia and
Montenegro; rectification of the
frontier of Asia minor.
THE CONCESSIONS
agreed to in advance, Russia is will
ing to declare truce and trust what.
ever else she can get.
In whatever language Russia's re-
ply may be couched, it is impossible
to misunderstand what she
INTENDS ENGLAND TO KNOW,
which is that the question of peace
or war concerns only the belligerants
themselves, and no outside interfer-
ence is desired.
BALKAN PASSES OCCUPIED by RUSSIANS.
BoGoT, December 3l.-After an ex-
ceedingly difficult passage over snow
covered mountains and frozen foot
paths, the vanguard Of q Russian
division has occupied the Balkan pass
es between Arabakonak and Sophia,
and cavalry has already been sta
toned on the Sophia road. The
Turks were taken by surprise conse-
quently the Russians lost only five
wounded.
AOnhS WlIuDhA W lN0s
Along the Eastern front, namely,
the River Lom, the Turks have with
drawn from all their positions, leav-
ing only small armed bodies, compos-
ed of troops and inhabitants. The
latter, with arms, retire to the woods,
after burning their own villages.
NEGoTJA "A TvoNs nRoKrN OFF
RAGusA, December 3l.-Negotia-
tions for the surrender Of Antivari
have been broken off because the
commandant demanded the garrison
should be allowed to leave with all
their arms and even artillery, and 60
to Scutari. The Montenegrins re-
commenced bombardment.
The capture of Pirot was q grand
success for the Servians, the defeat Of
the Turks being total. Twenty
Krupp guns, vast quantities of other
arms, munitions, provisions, and
about
SIX HUNDRED PRISONERS
were taken, the garrison retreating in
disorder toward Sophia, upon which
place the Russians and Servians are
steadily advancing.
The garrison of Nisch have opened
parley for surrender, the place be-
ing very weakly defended.
In Asia Moukhtar Pasha has retired
from Erzeroum with 1900 men, leav-
ing Hakki Pasha in command, and
b been
RECALLED TO coNsTANTlNoPLE.
This probably means that Armenia
is to be abandoned.
PEACE TALK.
LONDON, Jan. IA correspondent
at Vienna says Lord Derby has sent
note to Count Andrassy expressing
the hope that in view of the desire OF
Europe for peace other powers will
assist as much as possible England's q
steps for mediation.
THE TEXT OF ENGLAND's NOTE.
The following is stated to be the
text of England's note to Russia
"Her Majesty's Government begs to
inform the Emperor that the Porte is
ready to open peace negotiations.
The Emperor's wisdom and frequent
ly expressed love of peace justifies
Her Majesty's Government in the
hope that he will lend favorable
ear to the Sultan's request"
1t is said that Russia has already
replied to England's note that II the
Turks desire an armistice they must
apply direct to the Russian Com
mander i'm Chief.
A Paris correspondent also says he
has reason to believe Prince Gorts-
chakof has declared that Turkey
must know that Russia has always
been ready to listen to proposals. OF
peace and that the presentation oil
peace proposals by an intermediary
appears unnecessary.
LONDON, Jan. "a Cabinet council
will be held to-day to consider, II il
believed, the Russian reply to the
English note relative to peace nego-
tiations. The war party will endeav.
or to make the most Of the Russian
refusal, but as it Is foregone conclu.
sion the effect has not been 90 exas.
perating as Turcoppolis correspon.
dents would make It appear. The
anti-war party is beginning to agitate
the country for the purpose OF check.
ing supposed aggressive tendency
of the Cabinet.
The Times this morning urges Lib.
eral leaders tn mako known thns,