New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-27
OTTOMAN DIPLOMACY
TO MAKE LONG FIGHT
ReChad PaCha'S Tone Still Conf
dent in CharaCterizlng Balkan
Terms as absurd"
BOTH SIDES STAND BY GUNS
Turks Now Talk of Frontier
Line Stretching from Salon
lea, Northward of Adrl-
anople, to Midia.

0AANEtNi w
London, Dec. 27.-Both the Turks ana
the Balkan allies are standing by thelr
guns on the peace terms. NeVerthe-
less, those who think they know what
is going on behind the scenes still be-
1ieve that the probabilities Of the con-
ciusion Of peace are greater than those
Of a resumption of the conflict.
The exchange of cipher dispatches
between the administration at Con-
staptinople and Rechad Pacha con-
tinues. but the chief Of the TURKISH
pIenipotentiaries declines to divulge
the nature of the reply which he VIII
present 10 the allies tomorrow Wheh
The conference reassembles at st.
Jamess Palace. 1t is understood that
this will be as already outlined, with
the additional promise that Turkey
will apply to the European territories
remaining TO her the reforms which
p Count Berchtold, the Austro-Hungarlan
Minister, proposed before the war.
while l cannot discuss the reply OF
the Ottoman government said Rechad
Pacha last night, nothing prevents
me from saying that the terms the
allies have proposed are simply absurd.
They have produced this impression
wherever heard. even outside Of Turk
ish circles. 1t was never known that
after the conclusion Of an armisuce
one bellgerent party could ask the
other to cede territories bravely de-
tended and still resisting with heroism.
Questions by Rechad.
'Why should we 90 this, especially
when the Bulgarians had three reverses
at our hands just before the armistice,
while the Greeks, who continued 10
fight. were defeated both on land
around Yanina and at sea off the
Dardsnelles?
Turkey was induced 10 accept an
armistice only on the advice Of the
powers. i'm order to avoid useless car
mage on both sides The same humani-
tartan considerations led the ottoman
government to ask for the revictualling
Of the besieged towns, and might In
duce the government to yield certain
conditions for the sake of peace. But
there is a limit which the allies have
far surpassed
The allies, on the other hand. assert
that the arTnistice was arranged to give
, Turkey an opportunity of making peace
terms without suffering further losses
I'M the field, and they characterize Tur-
keys talk of keeping Adrianople.
Yanina and Scutari and regaining Sa-
Ionica as simply laughable. General
Danglis. the Greek chief Of general
staff. said:
Let them come and take Salonica If
they can. Even the dust Of our ancient
heroes would rise up to defend our
rights"
Confidence in ConstantinopIe.
The most optimistic of the Turkish
military party profess confidence that
the Buigarians will never he able to
force the Tchataldja lines. but that on
the contrary, with her present powerful
army Turkey will free Adrianople in
fortnight and, adding that garrison to
the main body, will take the offensive
toward Phnippopolis and salonica.
The possession of the Turkish fortress
of Adrjanople thus still remains the
real stumbling block in the way of the
attainment of peace. Compensation for
Bulgaria in some other part of Euro
'pean Turkey will probably in the end
remove even this difficulty and enable
her to consent to the retention by Tur-
KEY of the great fortress which the
allied troops have been unable TO sub
due.
Salonica has been suggested as a pos
sble bait to induce the Bulgarians 10
abandon their claims 10 the northern
city which the Turks refuse to yield.
Perhaps with some such idea in their
minds the Turkish delegates will in
clude in the counter proposals the
stipulation that Salonica shall remain
IN Ottoman hands, line being drawn
ITOln lildl SOuLIti III pm tiiptS' CtAAtS
and Adrian0ple 10 Midia.
Diplomatic circles here consider there
SIS certain TO be a gradual approxima-
tion of the excessive terms put forward
by the Balkan allies and the Turks.
and when that stage has once been
reached third parties may have
chance TO intervene order TO recon-
Gle the remaining differences between
the adversaries.
The Bulgarian delegates have au-
thorized The Morning Post" TO state
that Bulgaria is prepared to vest the
control of the Sultan Selim Mosque, at
Adrianople, permanently in the hands
81 the. Sultan's representatives, and TO
make all possible concessions to Turk
ish religious feelings associated with
Adrianople.