The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-31

London, December 30.-After fort night of sparring and feinting Turkey has finally shown her hand in the peace conference. Mediation by the great powers is the Ottoman scheme for emerging from the war with the best face for the nation and for the pleni- -potentiaries, which the situation will permit. ae
 The Turkish delegates proposed this solution in guarded terms at todoys session. The meeting was brief and more strained than any which pre- ceded 1t and the Turkish tactics were characteristic.
 The delegation had received fresh in- structions from the porte, Rechad Pasha announced but part of the telegram was undecipherable and must be re- peated to complete for translation. Then Rechad Pasha came to the point. to which the Ottomans had been lead ing up since the beginning, in tho opin- ion of their opponents. He declared he was able to state that most of the questions under discussion should bs referred to the powers. The boundary between Bulgaria and Turkey was an exception; that was matter he said for direct settlement between the two governments.
 Demand Written Proposals
 Then the Turkish delegates attempt ed to discuss the questions at issue informally but the allies insisted that sthey should put their propositions in writing, which. after a conference the Turks said they were not prepared
 The allies propose to bring affairs to crisis by statement in the nature of an ultimatum at the next session of the conference on Wednesday,. They express the determination not to waste more time Tn waiting for telegraphic consultations, real UT pretended, be- tween Constantinople and the Turkish delegates in London and will meet at an early hour Wednesday to decide upon their policy
 Mediation has two advantages from the Turkish viewpoint. First the ten dency of such an arrangement always Is in the direction of compromise. In the second place mediation would save the Turkish governments prestige in the eyes of the people by making t appear that Turkey conceded the sac rifices, which she inevitably must make, to the pressure of all Europe instead of at the dictation of the heretofore despised Balkan states.
 The first consideration from the standpoint of the allies. is opposed to their interests. Such a solution as mediation offers would be of further disadvantage to them in that certain powers--Austria. and Italy-could not be considered as disinterested arDitra- tors.
 The Turkish Argument
 The Turkish design in presenting conn- ter proposals which left an enormous gulf between them and the allies pro- posals was to create situation in which mediation would appear justifiable, ever necessary. Their argument is that never since the beginning of the world has a mediator, entrusted with a difficult prob 1em by conflicting parties, given a .ser- dict entirely favorable to one side, with- out compensation to the other. Therefore 1t would be easier to recoup part of their losses through mediation than by dealing aiiectly with their adversaries.
 And, the capital argument remains that whatever Turkey would be forced to cede, her mussulman population, particularly the semi-barbarous tribes of Arabia and Anatola, would swallow the bitter pill with fewer grimaces. If convinced it was administered by coalition of the whole of Europe instead of by the various states of Bulgaria and Servia.
 In the camp of the allies, the proposal for mediation has been received with varying degrees of dissatisfaction All are agreed that mediation would be possi- ble. of acceptance, only if the authority entrusted to the mediators was of such limits that it would be impossible to de- prive the victors of conquests rightfully gained: that it must be mediation taking into account. the present status of the ' -belhgerents, not the ante-bellum status. ----------~~------S~--~~-~