Evening star., 1912-09-22

instant announced that the Turkish coun-
Gil Of ministers has ap-
Turkey proved the preliminary
a.- basis Of peace arranged BE-
0Pp."'eS' tween the representatives
secret council in Switzerland for some
time. Dispatches from Paris. dated the
18th instant. on the authority Of the
Temps correspondent at Geneva, divulged
the following Information:
First. Turkey accepts peace II italy
will not exact formal recognition Of the
annexation OF LAbya: second. Turkey to
withdraw her troops. but to retain a port
near Tunis or Egypt: third, the sultan
to remain spiritual head OF Tripoli and
Cyrenaica; fourth. Italy to pay tribute to
Arab chiefs: fifth. Turkey demands a port
on the Red sea, suggesting Massowah:
sixth. Italy to pay Libya annuity. The
Ottoman debt question and tho Aegean
islands were not discussed Italy recog-
nizing that the powers would not ALLOW
their retention. The correspondent adds
that French financier has suggested
that Italy negotiate a loan OF 500, ,OO0, 600
or Sl2o.OOO.OOO for Turkey. Italy. It was
thought, would accept Turkeys PROPOSE
tions. excepting the port on the Red sea.
The Temps correspondent is manifestly
IN error as to the date Of his dispatches
September I'D. For n fact. the fnforma-
ton he apparently transmitted to the
Temps on September IL appeared verbatim
IN the Echo de Paris, dated August ., and
TINS fact begets some doubt as to the au-
thenticity OF the dispatches. Neverthe-
less. every one is heartily tired Of the
lurKo-ltaiian war and hopes peace has
been concluded. whatever the terms.
1t is fact that prior to the fall Of
the Said Pacha cabinet. when the col
lapse of the Young Turks was in
ev1table negotiations were begun In O.
much more conciliatory spirit than
those that followed. The Turks struggled
Cyrenaica and claimed that II they aban-
doned Tripolt the religious suzerainty
OF the sultan would be retained Be-
sides. there was sine qua non to the
negotiations. namely. a large money
compensation. Turkey, of course. is
we'll learned in the art Of negotiation
and knows that to receive anything at
all 1t is necessary to claim everything,
while grateful for any concession.
At Rome 1T is said there will be no
discussion Of the principle Of the full
and complete sovereignty
Religious OF Italy over Libya. As
Question. for the religious SOW
"'AO"' ereignty Of the sultan.
italy will offer an equivalent Of what
is defined in the clauses Of the Austro-
Turkish. treaty relating to Bosnia
Herzegovina. with the reservation that
the Mussulman clergy should not med
die with politics and that the Lybian
people would be absolutely free to ac-
knowledge the Khalif Of Constantinople
or any other religious chief. In the
matter Of the islands In the Aegean
sea, If Italy is disposed in principle
to restore them to Turkey, she would
consider in that connection the en-
gagements of honor which she had
contracted in regard to the populations
Of these islands. Italy would demand
special guarantees for the protection
Of their interests which should be con-
firmed by the powers
Italy maintains that it is principle al
ways defended by Europe that every
Christian land taken from the Ottoman
yoke should not be returned.
It is certain that If the Greek popula-
tions Of these islands should be returned
to the Turkish domination without spe-
cial guarantees by the powers. the Turks
would use repriSalS against them for hav-
ing welcomed the Italians as liberators.
Besides. Italy in any event will insist
that in restoring the islands she will
maintain at least a coal depot in the
eastern Mediterranean. and 1t is certain
that she has already chosen Stampalia.
The SpOrades Islands will be occupied
militarily until Turkey shall have fulfilled
all her engagements in the prospective
treaty.
1t will be seen that the indications from
Rome do not show that Italy will grant
important concessions. There was q time.
perhaps, when the authority Of the COM
mittee of union and progress was SUI
interior strife. that these concessions
might have been granted. Turkey when
comparatively strong failed to profit by
an opportunity. Now that she is weak
and circumstances are most unfav0rable
she must bend to the inevitable and SUBJ
nit.