The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-29
Terms Are Preposterous, They Say, and Refuse Even to Discuss
 Them
ALLIES MAY BREAK
 OFF NEGOTIATIONS
 IF TURKEY IS FIRM
Turkey Asks Adrianople, Autonomous Albania to Be Ruled by Turk ish Prince-Aegean Islands
 and Settlement of Cretan
 Question by Powers

l London. December 2S.-The brief session
 of the peace conference today brought
 tho Balkan delegates to their feet in pro
 tes. against the counter proposals put forth by Rechad Pasha in behalf of the
 Ottoman government. Turkeys maxi
 mum demands are considered very sweep ing. and when adjournment was taken
 to Monday afternoon 1t was evident that
 the Turks must lower their demands greatly or consent to negotiate on a basis
 of the terms proposed by the allies. If they attempt to stand by their guns
 or resort to strategy, the allies may break negotiations. 1t Is considered not inn probable that Turkey desires this. with
 the hope Of intervention by the powers, which would lead to a European confer
 ence or mediation. The plenipotentlarles
 could then say to the Mussuman world
 that they yielded 10 the pressure of all
 Europe.
 No Objection to Mediation
 The allies do not object to the accept
 ance of mediation, if 1t is understood the
 mediators must respect the territorial ac- quisitions resulting from the war. l Americans who followed the Russo-
 Japanese negotiations at Portsmouth, when the difficulty of inducing Russia to renounce Korea, Port Arthur and Dalny,
 and divide Saghalin seemed nsurmount- able. will not be surprised at what is oc- curing in London. Although the terri- tories under dispute are smaller, the in- terests affected and involved are greater and more complicated, having relation to | practically the whole Of eastern central and southern Europe. besides Great Brit. ain
 l it was Turkey turn today to furnish the presiding officer, and Rechad Pasba
 took the chair General Gruics, the for
 mer seryian minister of war, was chosen
 secretary. Rechad Pasha calmly unfoldea
 a document. saying he had the honor to notify the delegates of the proposals of his Imperial government for concluding
 peace. He read the terms, which were as 1 follows:
 Turkish Proposals | First-The province of Adrianople to re- l main under the direct administration of I Turkey.
 l Second-Macedonia to be converted into q principality with SalonlSi as its capital. l lhe prncipalty to be under the suzer- ainty of the Sultan of Turkey, but gov I erned by a prince chosen by the Balkan | states and nominated by the Sultan ot l Turkey. The prince is to be a Protestant and from a neutral state.
 l Third-Albania to be autonomous under I the sovereignty of the Sultan and gov | erned by a prince of the imperial Otto | man family, who is to be chosen for a
 term of five years with the possibility of a renewal of his appointment. l Fourth-All the islands in the Aegea n sea to remain Turkish
 l Fifth-The Cretan question not to he one for the decision or the conference, as
 it is matter between Turkey and the great European powers.
 1 The chief Of the Turkish delegation. as | chairman, could hardly control thei ex- ctement which followed. The first speak
 CT was the Greek premier, M Venizelos. The Turkish conditions were so astound- ing, he said that he could scarcely be- i lieve they were meant seriously, al- l though in so saying he did not intend 10 offend the Ottoman representatives.
 Rechad Pasha replied, defending the claims of his government. He then sx- l pressed the opinion that the work of the
 delegates would be smoother and mutual
 relations better if the press did not chron- | icle all details of the conference. Dr. Daneff head of the Bulgarian plenipo- ! | ing the proceedings from the press being
 lost, he proposed a special tribune of Journalists in the hall of St James. lie
 dilated on the impossibfiity of dealing with | the Turkish demands.
 Terms Are Preposterous Rechad Pasha interrupte dto ask why. | Dr. Daneff answered that he would not
 even enter into the merits of the ques- l tion, the Ottoman claims being prenosfar-
 ous and beyond any expectation. ! NJ. Miyuskovitch, the Montenegrin dele
 gate, remarked that Turkey had not even respected the decision of tine powers It | had been agreed by the ambassadors con
 ference that Albania should be autono-
 nous under only the suzereingty of the Sultan, while Turkey demanded the SOW
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