Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-22
PEACE In THE EAST.
ABDUL HAMID MEETS THE WISHES
OF TIE POWERS.
TURKEY TO LEAYE THESSALY.
Her Troops VIII he Withdrawn BE-
fore the Rainy Season I'm October
Indemnity Question still to BE
Settled.

CONSTANTINOPLE, July 21.-The Sui
tan has issued an trade sanctioning
the settlement Of the frontier question
in accordance with the wishes Of the
Powers.
Turkeys original demand was sub
mittod June 18th, and was for all the
northern portion Of Thcssaly down 10
the river Peneus and to a point approu-
mately twelve kilometers beyond the
line OF the Peneus CSalembria), in the
District Of Larissa. As the Salembria
rises in Mount Dehobimi. western peak
Of the Kharsias. and extends across the
whole of Thessaly, eastward to the Gulf
Of Salonica, a concession OF this de-
mand would have meant an important
increase in Ottoman territory. This pro-
posal the Powers have unitedly refused
to consider for moment as practicable
In reply, they informed the Turkish
Government that all that Turkey could
hope for was a rectihcation of the cN-
listing mountain frontier for strategic
purposes only. and the European military
attaches submitted a line drawn just
south of the Kharsia mountains
which includes one or two small villages
inhabitated by Greeks. intimating 10 the
Turkish Government that in It's ac-
ceptance of this line, the Greek inhaDl-
tants affected would be transferred, at
tho expense OF the Greek Government
and under the protection Of the Powers,
10 Greek territory beyond the line. On
July 9Th. in reply to the note Of the am
bassadors. containing this proposal.
spocial council of the Turkish ministers
drafted a "mazbata." stating that the
Porte could not consider the frontier
proposed by the Powers, nor "any other
line north Of the Peneus, the natural
boundary"
GERMANY'S ATTITUDE.
This attitude of the Porte's was firm
lv maintained for a week, until Baron
Saurma Won Jeltsch, the German Am
bassador, received precise instructions
from the German Foreign Office to insist
upon the strategic frontier line proposed
by the military attaches. This uncom-
promising attitude was evidently the re-
suit of q miscOnceptiOn on the part or
the Sultan. who had been led TO believe
from sundry small differences Of opinion
ON matters of secondary Importance, that
Germany was not in agreement with the
other Powers. on learning from the
ouarter where he had hoped TO find sup
port for his pretensions that there was
no alternative but to accept the decision
Of the six cooperative Powers. he ap-
pealed successfully to the German ana
TO the Austro- Hungarian emperors, re-
ceiving in each case the definite assur-
ance that the strategic frontier line was
the maximum OF territory that Turkey
could hope TO obtain.
Tho Sultan still haggled. explaining the
Of demands
the priestiy and military parties in Tur-
KEY. and il was not until the Russian
Government issued a circular TO the
Powers. suggesting that steps should be
taken for expediting the conclusion OF
peace that the Turkish Government be-
can TO give way The final submission
was not made until the Ambassadors on
Monday broke Off the negotiations ana
referred the whole matter TO their re-
spective governments. with view TO
applving coercive measures. and informed
the Porte that any subsequent decisions
at which it might arrive must be COM
municated in writing, instead Of orally,
as heretofore.
THE INDEMNITY.
The question Of indemnity still re-
mains TO be settled. The Ambassadors
anpear TO have assumed that the capital
sum would reach 100000 Turkish.
which is. however. highly profile
matical. Financiers in London. Paris
and Vienna consider that the Ambassa-
dors are inclined 10 be somewhat too
generous.
The "pour-parlers" may drag on for
some time yet. II Is regarded as GER
tain. however, that a definite understand
ing between the Powers and the Porte
ON all questions connected with the peace
negotiations will eventually be reached
and that the Ottoman troops will be
Withdrawn from 1hessaly before the.I
rainy season sets in in october.