The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-01-03
THE TURKS GIVE WAY.

The trickiness Of the Turks in tho
peace negotiations at London has not
availed them; they get no advantage
from It, Their proposition to change
the conference into mediation by the
European powers was so foreign TO the
purpose of the gathering that it had
to be summarily rejected If the Turks
could have changed the nature of the
embassadorial conversations 10 a
mediation of the powers, then OF course
there would have been no functions for
either the Turkish delegates or the dele
gates from the Balkan states to per.
form. The whole matter would have
been taken over by the European pow.
ers and the parties in immediate inter
est would have had to abide by the
adjudication, without having any say
in it.
But the trick was seen through at
once; the Balkan delegates, of course,
made vigorous protest. They we're
not sent to London to transfer their
case TO the European powers, but to
deal with it themselves; they were not
sent to avoid settling the questions in
volved, but TO settle them And so the
Turks, having made a false move, had
to givo way accordingly, and TO give
way on more than what was involved
In their proposition. In giving way
they had TO surrender nearly every
thing that the Balkan allies had de-
mandcd. The Turks decline to surrcn.
der Adrianople and the Aegean islands.
But undoubtedly Bulgaria will enforce
the surrender of Adrianople, and will
never give it up. Greece already has
practically absorbed Crete, and is not
in the least likely to give it up or sur
rondcr its claim upon the other islands
Of the Aegean sea, and there is no rca-
son why Turkey should be allowed to
reserve either the city or the islands
II can, therefore, as we take it. be
practically assured that the Turks must
surrender on all points. Turkey in Eu.
rope, therefore, will be confined to the
limit Immediately around Constantine
pie. the area within the Tchatalia for
tifications.
% This result was practically foreshad-
owed from the first, since the region to
be thus surrendered is merely the re-
gion that the allies have conquered in
war; and there is no reason why the
allies should be denied the benefits Of
their couqucsts, as Russia was denied
the like benefits OF her conquests forty
years ago, when she had occupied
good deal of the ground now captured
by Bulgaria, and was swiftly marching
upon Constantinople itself. But the
Berlin conference required Russia 10
withdraw. This was on account OF the
icaIousies among the powers, that could
not bear TO see so much aggtandize-
ment 90 to Russia But no such ieal-
ousy should. or is likely to, interpose
in the case OF the Balkan states. for
even with the conquests conceded,
those states arc not formidable TO any
of their great neighbors.
We Judge, therefore. that peace may
be considered as practically assured
from these conferences in London, and
that il is further assured that Turkey
will have 10 give way on the two points
il now reserves. The Turkish garrison
at Adrianople viii no doubt be ac-
corded the honors Of war, and be al
lowed TO withdraw within the Tchatalja
Lines, and Greece will obtain the Ae-
geau islands, resuming the sovereignty
that classic literature has mado so ia.
nous.
This will be fortunate outcome Of
the war; an immense relief 20 the
Christians Of southeastern Europe, a
relief much too long deferred; for
Turkish rule over those Christian
provinces has been a shocking bar.
barism. cruel, mcrciless and oppressive
beyond compare.