The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-12-21
TALK on PEACE BEGINS.
STAGE SET FOR TURKISH-BAL-
KAN CONFERENCE.
Representatives Do Not Think Ana.
tro-Servian Controversy Is to be
Taken Seriously.

Lonuon, Dec. l5.-Dr. Daneff head
OF the Bulgarian plenipotentiaries. re-
turned to London from Paris late to-
night and the Turkish Balkan peace
conference is expected to open to-
morrow noon. Sir Edward GREY. the
British secretary Of foreign affairs
VIII make brief speech of welcome
and after expressing the hope of a
fruitful end Of their labors. he will
retire and leave the conference to de-
llberate In private.
The sessions will be held in the his
toric ST. James palace.
The delegates spent quiet day
Sunday. Nothing has transpired vet
to show whether any serious difficulty
is likely to arrive over the attendance
Of the Greek delegates. Concerning
the Austro-Servian controversy the
Balkan delegates think it the result
Of Austrian bluff. They say:
Vienna, having seen her tradi-
tional programme Of gradually ex-
tending through the Balkan states to
Saloniki completely wrecked has tried
to counterbalance the bad effect 1t has
had at home by clamoring that AL
pania must be autonomous, according
to the Austro-Italian agreement con-
cluded in 1907. Therefore neither
greece nor Servia can occupy the
Albanian Adriatic coast, much less
Servia, as Servia means Russia.
What does Montenegro repre-
sent?" asked one Of the delegates
laughingly, with it's ports at Antivari
and Dulcigno, to which Scutari will
soon be added, it being no mystery to
anybody that the small kingdom can
be considered almost. as a Russian
province and the Montenegrin army
as a contingent Of the Muscoyite
forces"
According to the Balkan delegates,
Austria's increased armament and the
practical mobilization Of her army
are due less to the probability of de-
claring war against Servia than to
the grave internal situation in the
monarchy, the unrest in Hungary and
the agitation among Servians,
especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
where even those holding positions
under the Austrian government have
openly protested against the attitude
Of the empire. An additional cause
FOR concern is the threatening atti-
tude Of the Slavs generally throughout
Austrian territory which caused the
dissolution Of the municipalities of
sebenico, spalato and lara, on the
charge Of being anti-Austrian.
"Vierna," tire Balkan delegates
continued, has too many troubles at
home to think seriously Of war, for
which she is financially not prepared,
fact proved by the loan recently
concluded in the United States at
rate OF interest higher than any great
power has paid in late years.
Besides, Germany. notwithstanding
her alliance, has exercised an infiu-
ence tending to moderate Austrian
order
admitting, however, a coup d'etat
on the part Of Austria, we certainly
know that neither Servia nor any
other Of the Balkan states would be
left alone as Russia would come to
their assistance, being today no more
the Russia of the war with Japan.
and, indeed, anxious to show what she
can do in Europe.
This would mean a general con-
fiagration, which all are more inter-
ested to prevent than to hasten and
which will not be brought about for
a relatively insignificant cause such
as allowing Servia to have a strip Of
land along the southern frontier Of
Montenegro and a small stretch of
coast on the Adriatic."
No further development in the in
ternatiOnal situation is reported. Ac-
cording to Vienna dispatch tonight
nothing is known OF the statement
circulated in Paris that Servia has
protested to Austria against the lat
ter's military demonstrations.
Belgrade dispatch represents the
Servian government as ready, if nee
essary to send delegates to Vienna for
friendly negotiations with Albania on
Albanian autonomy and southern
port on the Adriatic, which Servia
would engage not to transform into
military port, while Austria would
enjoy the right Of preference in the
matter Of loans and public works and