Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-01-03
THE GREEK FRONTIER.
THE ARBITRATION SCHEME A
FAILURE.
A SemI-OnlcIAI Communication TO
the POrte-DIrect Negotiations Be
tween Greece and Turkey Pro-
pOEed-War a Certainty-Intense
Excitement In Athens.

LONDON, January Ia Reuter- dispatch
from Constantinople reports. the Count
Corti and NJ. Novijof, italian and Russian
Ambassadors, respectively, express regret
that NJ. T1ssot, the French Ambassador to
Turkey, has informed the Sultan OF the
arbitration project without having pre-
viously communicated with the other Am
bassadors. They recommend an abandon
ment Of the project, and are in favor of
direct negotiations between Greece and
Turkey.
a Paris dispatch says all the powers are
doing their utmost to calm the excitement
in Greece. M. Barthelemy st. Hiliare,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, recently sent to
Athens counsels by which the Greek Minis
ters must have been struck.
Vienna and ConstanIinople 6fspatcbes
concur in reporting a collapse OF the srbi-
tration scheme. The Porte's reply 10 M.
Tissot's semi-oficial communication If the
scheme Is still withheld. 1t has heretofore
been believed that the reply would not be a
direct refusal, but would take the form of a
counter proposal to send an international
commission to Epirus and Thessaly to ex-
anime the frontier question on the spot.
The attitude of Greece, however, renders
any pacific negotiations difficult, and the
DAILY Isle7raph's Vienna correspondent as
serts that the Porte will formally reject ar
bitration, and abandoning the idea of coun-
ter proposal, will allow things to take their
own course. The question is whether hos
tilities will be postponed until March or
begin now. The final Issue, war, seems to
be next to a certainty. The foregoing agrees
in tenor with all that is known on the sub
jeet.
The Times Constantinople correspondent
says: "The failure of the arbitration project
was foreseen here from the beginning"
A Times dispatch from Vienna says: "The
German, French and Austrian Ministers at
Athens are urging Premier Coumoundouros
to prudence and patience, but the mere re-
port that the Ministry is disposed to treat
on this arbitration question caused much
excitement In Athens, and a deputstion of
members Of the Chambers waited upon the
Premier for explanations"
The Vienna Press st. Petersburg cores
pondent had an interview with General
Ignatieff, whom he reports as saying that
a retrograde movement on the part Of the
Greek Government would endanger the
throne of King George, and that revolu-
tion could scarcely be confined to Hellenic
| territory. Moreover, he said If Greece, in
attempting to annex Thessaly and Epirus,
should be reduced to position Of serious
danger, France, Italy and England would
surely help her. Russia, too, could not
| abancon her Greek co-religionists to their
fate should their existence be in peril.
In the Chamber of Deputies at Athens
Yesterday, according TO a Reuter- telegram,
Nj. TIicoupisi, leader of the opposition, de-
manded an explanation from the govern
| ment regarding the present position of the
| frontier question. He declared that arbi-
| tration would destroy the work of the Ber-
lin conference. M. Tricoupisi concluded
by saying: europe may tear up the proio-
col, but the tattered document will be
stepped ia the blood of the Creeks
The Premier said that it was unnecessary
for the Ministry to ask either Chamber or
the nation to dictate reply to the arbitra-
tion proposal. He said: "We have acted
upon our own responsibility, and Europe
understands that we are capable of execu-
ting it's decision. We are resolved to ccur-
ageously defend the interests and honor Of
Greece" 1t is evident from this that the
Ministerial reserve and conservatism are
powerless to resist the pressure to which
the King and government at Athens are
now sui jeoted.
NJ. TricOupisi was lately overthroWn be-
cause he did not move fast enough to salts
fy the popular clamor. Now the Ministers
are too slow for bin.
As an Indication of the warlike fervor
prevailing, the Mayor Of Athens, in an
nOuhclhS IIe HuuIbR VI Tue STATUE OI
"Minerva Victorious" couples the fact
with a statement that the discovery is made
at the moment when all Greece is in arms.
CoNsTANTINoPLE, January 2.-It is stated
In well informed circles that the Porte has
abandoned its intention of sending a note
to the powers on the Greek question.
PARIS, January 2 2-Despite the unfavor,
able declarations Of the Porte and Greece
relative to arbitration, the powers have not
abandoned negotiations for a compromise
between the two countries.