Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-16
THREE POWERS
MAKE PROGRAM
INDEPENDENCE OF BULGARIA
is RECOGNIZED
WILL LAY EIGHT PROPOSALS BE-
FORE CONFERENCE
Annexation of Bosnia and herzego-
vlna to Be Noted by Concert
Crete's Desires Are
Gratifed
rBy Associated Press.l

LONDON, Oct. 15.-Great Britain,
Russia and France have reached an
agreement on a program TO be submit
ted to the other powers as a pasls Ior
discussion of the proposed European
conference to settle the Balkan ques-
ton. The proposals to be laid before
the conference are eight in NUMBER
The first is to the effect that articles
one to twenty-five of the treaty or
Berlin which relates to Bulgaria anu
eastern Roumelia, shall be replaced py
stipuations recognizing the 1ndepend-
ence of Bulgaria as at present con-
stituted, and determining the financial
obligations of Bulgaria toward Turkey.
New clauses probably will settle also
the question of the Oriental railway.
The second and third proposals are
that the powers shall take note of the
annexation by Austro- Hungary Oh
Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the return
of the San Jak of NoVipazar to Turkey.
The fourth article relates to Crete. 1t
replaces article twenty-three of the
treaty of Berlin by clauses recognizing
the annexation of Crete to Greece, and
determining the financial obligations of
Greece in respect to Crete toward Tur-
key.
1t is understood that the powers
under whose protection Crete has been,
Great Britain, France and Italy, Will
settle the Cretan question in concert
with Turkey before referring it to the
conference. 1t is proposed also that
the second part of article 20 of the
Berlin treaty, which provides special
regulations for the government of other
parts of European Turkey, shall cease
TO have force when the powers are as
sured that a satisfactory settlement
has been effected.
The fifth proposal is to the effect
that arrangements similar to the above
shall apply to the Armenian provinces
of Turkey.
The sixth article deals with Monte
negro. The Montenegrin rights of SOW
ereignty are limited by article 29 of
the treaty of Berlin. 1t is proposed
that articles 26 to 33, inclusive, of the
Berlin treaty. shall be condensed to a
single article abrogating all the re-
strictions imposed by the treaty, un-
der the original article 29, which it is
proposed to sweep away.
The seventh point i'll the program
is the statement that it is desirable
to seek and give compensation to Ser
via and Montenegro by a ratification of
the Bosnian and Herzegovinian from
tiers adjoining NovipaZar. This is
taken to imply that a strip will be
taken from the territory annexed by
Austro Hungary.
river Danube, and declares it desira-
bic to revise the regulations governing
the Danube traffic so as to give larger
rights to the states bordering on the
river.
The eight articles of the program are
followed by a declaration that as the
new ottoman constitution foreshadows
a reorganization of the judicial system
and remodeling of Turkish legislation
in conformity with the principles of
other European states. the powers are
prepared to consider, in concert with
Turkey so soon as these reforms are re-
allied, the best means of doing away
with capitulations. 1t is declared also
that this occasion could be taken to
consider the abolition of postoffices
now maintained by foreign powers in
Turkey.
The draft of this program makes no
mention of the straits between the
Black Sea and the Mediterranean,
which of course means the Bosphorus
as we'll as the Dardanelles. But these
straits have been a subject of protract-
ed discussion between Sir Edward
Grey, the British foreign secretary, and
NJ. Iswolsky. the Russian minister of
foreign affairs. NJ. lsWolsky does not
ask that this question be submitted to
the conference; what he desires is that
Great Britain and France help Russia
TO negotiate with Turkey for the open
ing of these straits to Russia.