Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-29
Possible Result of Turkeys
Peace Proposals.
ALLIES ARE Determined
Thought Not improbable That the
Porte Desires Intervention.
EXCITEMENT AT CONFERENCE
Balkan ENJOYS Show Indignation
When Rechad Pasha Reads De-
mands of His Government.

| LONDON. December 2S-The brief ses.
| sion OF the peace conference today
brought the Balkan delegates to their
feet in protest against the counter pro-
posals put forward by Rechad Pasha ir
behalf of the Ottoman government. Tur-
keys maximum demands are considered
very sweeping. and when adjournment
was taken to Monday afternoon it was
evident that the Turks must lower their
demands greatly or consent to negotiate
on basis of the terms proposed by the
allies.
Ii they attempt to stand by their guns
or resort to strategy, the allies may
break the negotiations. 1t is considered
not improbable that Turkey desires this.
with the hope of Intervention by the pow
ers. which would lead to a European con-
ference or mediation. The penipoten-
tiaries could then say to the Mussulman
world that they yielded to the pressure of
all Europe.
The allies do not object to the accept
ance of mediation, if it is understood that
the mediatOrs must respect the terri
torial acquisitions resulting from the
war.
Recall Portsmouth Farley.
Americans who followed the Russo
Japanese negotiations at Portsmouth.
when the difficulty of inducing Russia to
renounce Korea, Port Arthur and Dalny
and divide Saghalien seemed insurmount-
able, will not be surprised at what is oc-
curing in London. Although the terri
tories under dispute are smaller, the in
offonfad a
and more complicated, having relation to
practically the whole of eastern, central
and southern Europe. besides Great Brit
ain.
1t was Turkeys turn today to furnish
the presiding officer and Rechad Pasha
took the chair. Gen. Gruics, the former
Servian minister of war, who was chosen
secretary, read the minutes Of the last
meeting. Rechad Pasha then arose and
calmly unfolded document. saying that
he had the honor to notify the delegates
of the proposals of his imperial govern
ment for concluding peace. He then read
the terms.
Lively Scene at Session.
The chief of the Turkish delegation,
as chairman. could hardly control the
excitement which followed. The first
speaker was the Greek premier. NJ. Veni-
zelos. The Turkish conditions were so
astounding, he said, that he could scarce
ly believe that they were meant seriously,
although in so saying he did not intend
to offend the Ottoman representatives:
Rechad Pasha replied, defending the
claims of his government He then eX-
pressed the opinion that the work of the
delegates would be smoother and mutual
relations better If the press did not
chronicle all details of the conference.
DIR. Daneff, head of the Bulgarian pleni-
potentiaries. said that. all hopes of con-
cealing the proceedings from the press
being lost, he proposed special tribune
for the journalists in the hall of ST.
James He diIated on the impossibility
of dealing with the Turkish demands.
Rechad Pasha interrupted to ask why.
Called Preposterous.
DR.. Daneff answered that he would not
even enter into the merits of the question,
the Ottoman claims being preposterous
and beyond any expectation.
NJ. Myuskovitch, the Montenegrin dele
gate, remarked that Turkey had not even
respected the decision of the powers. 1t
had been agreed by the ambassadors con-
ference that Albania should be autono-
nous under only the suzerninty of the
sultan, while Turkey demanded the SOW
ereignty of the sultan. with ruling
prince from the sultan's family.
NJ. Madjaroff. the Bulgarian minister at
London, declared that the whole pro-
cedure was wrong. He pointed out that
as the allies had presented terms Turkey
should have offered real counter pro-
posals-that is. real changes. alterations
or refusals-and should not have ignored
them to present totally different
scheme.
Premier Venizelos asked, for the sake
of historic curiosity, that copies of the
document which Rechad Pasha had read
be given to the delegates. The sitting
IL
copies. When the sitting was resumed
the Turkish delegates delivered a copy to
each delegation.
Contention Of Turkey.
Rechad, in reopening the sitting. ex-
pounded what evidently was the main
argument of Turkey in support of her
claims. He said that the powers since
the beginning of the troubles with the
Balkan states had declared that in case
of a conflict. whatever it's result, no.
body would gain from it. the powers be-
ing determined to maintain the status
quo.
DIR. Danef retorted:
But you forget that after the war all
the prem1erS OF the powers recognized
that the status quo was ended and that
1t was impossible to continue a policy
based on its maintenance
Rechad Pasha made fresh attempts to
induce the allies to declare what they OBJ
jected to in his propositions, trying to
make them discus1 the dIfferent Clauses,
but unsuccessfully, all repeating that it
was impossible to take them as point
of departure. as they seemed to be draft
ed by a person unacquainted with events
of the last three months.
NJ. NenizelOs pointed out that Turkey
had refused to apply to Macedonia the re-
forms proposed by Count Won Berchthold.
which it is ready to grant Low that Mace
donia is entirely in the hands of the allies.
Query Is Embarrassing.
NJ. Novakovitch asked the Turks to say
openly whether their proposals represent
ed their last word.
Rechad Pasha was evidently disconcert-
ed by this point blank question He eluded
a direct answer. saying that his instruc-
tons did not authorize a reply either way
NJ. Venizelos wished to add an interpre-
tation of the desire of the allies. He de-
clared that they never would accept a dis
l