The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-12-21
SUMTER. S. c., SATURDAY, DECEMBER o. 1912
CONFERENCE MAY Be RESUMED
OTTOMAN EMPIRE HAS LITTLE
TO GAIN BY DELAY.
Believed That Turkeys Decision Will
BE Such as to Allow Peace Dele
gates to Take up Deliberations
Anew.

London, Dec. 1S.-The nature of the
decision on which the Turkish gov
ernment arrived at today is not known
but it is believed to be such as to
! enable the peace conference to re-
sumo it's deliberations.
Considering that under the terms
of the armistice Turkey is de AIRED
from revictualling her besieP t.
resses, she has little to gain due
delay The growing strer ) the
military party in Constan' = how
ever, may have an u Led in
a,,sns,sn nasnss on the deve' : t on the
The Russian pr speech in
the duma, which awaited with
much interest j ded as a peace
full factor, bU e same time it
IS plain inth. ION to the world
that Russia stands firmly behind the
Balkan states in support of their Sc
curing all the legitimate fruits Of their
victory and therefore may be regard
ed as somewhat in the light of a
warning to Austria.
The Servian government mean
while is doing it's utmost to avoid
needlessly provoking Austria.
Premier Pachitch, according to a
Belgrade dispatch, has written to the
, editors Of the leading newspapers,
! urging them in the interests of peace
to refrain from publishing articles
, provocative to Austria and two pa
| pers have been suppressed for attack
ing Austria.
The ambassadors Of the powers at
their meeting this afternoon confirm
ed their decision to maintain impene-
+, trable secrecy concerning their dis
cussions but one of the delegates OBJ
served that the secrecy was only ap-
parent, as on the most important
questions the ambassadors would be
compelled to consult with the oeace
delegates in order to ascertain their
intentions and the feelings of their
countries
| Besides, the same delegate added, it
would be useless to maintain secrecy
on secondary matters when what is
really Of Importance is openly and
solemnly proclaimed to the world He
instanced the speech of Nj. Kokvosoff,
the Russian premier, who, he said,
today spoke before the duma, but in
! reality addressed his statements to
the whole of Europe in the name of
the great Slavonic and Orthodox
power"
! NJ. Kokovsoff's speech, praised the
civil and military virtues Of the allies.
promising them support from the
mother, Russia, who so far "is glad
she has not TO change the calm atti-
tude adopted at the outset"
This in plain language means that
( the calm attitude" might have been
changed in the past and may change
In the future, if the rights Of the
Balkan peoples do not receive due
recognition. However, it is asserted
that the Austrian and German am
bassadors at the meeting today were
most cordial although reserved.
! 1T is reported Count Beckendorf ex-
! pressed the desire of Russia that the
straits be declared open only to the
Russian fleet. and not the fleets of
other countries. as his government
wishes the Black sea TO remain a kind
Of Russian lake.
Concerning the islands along the
Turkish Asiatic coast the opinion pre-
walls that they remain Turkeys be-
cause, owing to their proximity to the
Asiatic continent, whichever other
! country possessed them would be a
constant threat to Asia Minor. The
idea is that these islands must belong
to the state ruling Asia Minor.
Albania is the hardest nut to crack.
it being foreseen that whatever solu-
tion is adopted, it will be a future
source Of trouble, Notwithstanding
rosy colored predictions in the speech
made today in the Italian chamber
by Marquis Di San Julian, minister
of foreign affairs.
IL ottoman rule is destined TO dis
anpcar from Europe, it is out Of the
question to have the Turks retain anv
political or administrative Dover in
Albania under any form. according
II the views expressed here, but il
Is much feared that even an au-
tonomous and neutralized Albania
owing TO racial, religious, economic