The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-05-22
THE PORTE's TERMS,
Upon Which the Dogs OF War
Will be Called OF,
Raise n Extremely Grave Issue and Cause
h Greatest Surprise Among the Repre-
sentatives of the Powers-More
Fighting with Indecisive Results.
The porte's Ultlmatum, 10 the Powers.

powers, and declines to agree to an
armistice until the following condi-
tons are accepted:
The annexation of Thessaly, an in
demnity of 10, 600, 900 pounds Turkish.
and the abolition of the capitulatiOns.
The porte proposes that plenipoten-
tiaries of the powers should meet at
Pharsalos to discuss the terms of peace,
and declares that if these conditions
are declined, the Turkish army will
continue to advance.
The demand for the annexation Of
Thessaly is based upon the fact that
the province was originally coded to
Greece on the advice of the powers
with the object of ending brigandage
and Greek incursions into Ottoman
territory, the porte believing at the
time that the cession would attain
these objects, but the recentincursions
of Greek bands and the events jmme-
diately preceding the war have proved
to the contrary.
This is the substance of the reply:
The ambassadors met to-day to con-
slider the porte's answer, which is re-
garded as raising
An Extremely Grave Issue.
1t is believed that representations
will be made to the sultan personally
to issue a modification of these terms,
but it is foreseen that this will be very
difficult, owing to the attitude of the
powerful Old Turk war party.
If the porte should prove obdurate a
European conference is not improba-
BILE, although at present Russia is OPP
posed to this.
1t is regarded as quite certain that
the powers will not consent to a retro
cession of Thessaly. Even Germany
is believed to be resolute on this point,
because it would involve a violation Of
the Berlin treaty and imperil the peace.
of the Balkans.
Altogether the reply of the porte has
caused the Creates surprise. 1t ap-
pears that during the discussion of the
note from the powers by the council of
the sultan's ministers, news reached
the council that's, 900 Greeks had landed
at Palona and were marching to Janiua
with the intention of cooperating with
other forces from Arta. This created
a bad impression among the ministers.
More Fighting in Which It is Claimed the
Greeks Were Worsted.
CONsTANTINoPLE, May 16.-The coun-
ell of ministers met again to-day and
the sultan has ordered a distribution
of troops at various points along the
Salonica railway. Official dispatches
have been received from the command
ant at Janina, who says that a division
of the Greek forces approaching the
town by . narrow gorge from the
direction of Gremenitza, charged the
heights of Griboro and Konoari, but
suffered heavily, losing 200 killed,
while on the other side the Greeks
were driven back upon Paraskevi.
The commandant states also that
fighting has occurred at Krmusades.
No further details are given except
that all these battles lasted until even
ing, and that the imperial troops re-
tanned their position, with the proba-
bility that the Greeks will be reinforced
and the fighting renewed tomorrow
No statement is made as to the Turkish
losses.
The Turkish commander at Luros
telegraphs under yesterdays date as
follows:
1.-The outcome of a desperate battle
lasting two days against a force of Is
600 Greeks is that the latter have aban.
doned the position on the heights they
had previously captured and have
withdrawn to the olive groves of
Grenenaitza."
Only q Case of oriental bargaining.
LONDON, May 1.-THE preposterous
terms proposed by the porte must be
regarded as the natural and usual
method of oriental bargaining. They
would not be serious did they not force
a continuance of the fighting.
With the failure of the Greek dash
in Epirus there is no chance to make a
further stand unless at Thermopyla,
which, by virtue of its natural condi-
tons, is an immensely strong position,
from which the Turks would have the
greatest difficulty in dislodging the
Greeks.
At Domokos the Greeks must be sui.
severely from the heavy rains.
as they have 10 tents. The capture or
evacuation of the town is only a ques-
ton of a few days. The Turks have
been seer at the passes east and west
of Domokos, and Gen. Smolenski has
warned the crown prince to expect an
The weakness of the Greek position
- in the great extent of the line. The
of the retreat in Epirus serves to
still further demoralize the troops in
Thessaly.
As to the terms on which peace will
be declared the general belief
official circles is that they will be
by an European conference.
AN ILLEGAL CORPORATION.
Judge Gibbons Thus ~chsracterizss the