Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-10-07
Question OF War or Peace in
The Balkans Still in Balance

Paris, Oct. 6.-War or peace be-
tween Turkey and the Balkan states
is in the balance. IF anything it might
be said that the scales swung slightly,
today. against peace in the sense that
every hours delay in the powers in
PREVENTION increases the danger of
hostilities.
The word now rests with Great
Britain. All the powers save Great
Britain have accepted with some mod
ifieations the French premiers plan
for Intervention, but Great Britain
hesitates in going SO far as to assume
with the other powers responsibility
for securing from Turkey broad re-
forms in Macedonia. u.s.
Great Britain's procrastination is
causing some uneasinesss and some
criticism in Paris. Such papers as
The Temps assert that they cannot
undertand Great Britain's lack of
sympathy in the needed Turkish re-
forms, When in 1876, that country rose
UP in a body against the so-called
Bulgarian atrocities. However, even
with Englands support and this is
expected to come, tomorrow, the cri-
sis is not removed. The great ques-
ton remains as to whether the pow
ers can obtain extensive enough re-
forms from Turkey to satisfy the mil
liant Balkan states.
Reports received here give the Bal
kan governments irreduciable mini
mum as complete national autonomy
~for Macedonia. with Christian COVER
nors of the provinces. the creation of
a local militia and the withdrawal of
the Turkish troops. Turkey is de-
scribed as wishing to be conciliatory
and moderate, but considerable doubt
is expressed as to whether Turkey
would ever accept such demands as
these
Austria has given adhesion to the plan
formulated by the French and Russian
foreign ministers to deal with the
Balkan situation. Austria, however, sug-
gested a slight change in the wording of
the proposals. which met with the imme-
date approval of both NJ. Poincare and
M. Sazonoff The only effect of the
amendment is more sharply to define the
intentions of the powers and present a
more concise statement of these.
1t is understood that these proposals
do not include a demand for the auton-
omy of Macedonia, but urge the adop-
ton of the provisions of Article % OF the
treaty of Berlin providing for larger
measure of home rule 1t is believed
here that the proposals as now outlined
will remove any lurking suspicious In
England that the continental powers pos
sibly We're contemplating a settlement
wholly at the expense of Turkey.
H..
that all the preliminaries win be com
pleted in time to permit Russian and
Austria. as the manufactures of Europe,
to present a collective note to Sofia. Bel
grade, Athens and Cettinje, tomorrow.
or, at the latest, Tuesday. AS DON as
this is done Turkey will be invited to
give guarantees which will render errec-
tive the promise that Europe VIII rake
upon her shoulders the responsibility for
the realization of the reforms.
Constantinople, Oct collisions are
reported to have occurred yesterday
and today. between Turkish and Greek
frontier guards in the regions of the Met
zovo and Elasson. Several Moselmen i'm
plicated in the Kotschana massacre have
been sentenced by eourtmartial-one TO
death, another to life Imprisonment and
the others to minor terms.
London, Oct 6.--What may prove
to be an important development IN
the Balkan problem comes from Con
stantinople. tonight, in the, form of a
statement that the Porte has an
nounced its willingness to put into ex-
ecution article 23 of the Berlin treaty