The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-01-04
TURKEY PRESENTS FIRST FOR
MAIL REQUEST FOR ACTION
BY THE POWERS TO END
WAR.
VIII Present Their Demands Rather
in the Nature Of an Ultimatum, at
Next Session OF Peace Conference
kCld Tomorrow. Much to Lose.


Ottoman scheme for emerging from
the war with the best face for the ma
tion and the plenipotentiaries which
the situation will permit. The Turkish
delegates proposed this solution in
guarded terms at today's session. The
meeting was brief and more strained
than any which preceded it and the
Turkish tactics were characteristic
The delegation had received fresh
instructions from the porte, Rechad
Pasha announced, but part of the
telegram was undecipherable and
must be repeated to Constantinople
for translation. Then Rechad Pasha
came to the point, to which the Of
tomans had been leading up since
the beginning, in the opinion of their
opponents. He declared he was able
to state that most Of the questions
under discussion should be deferred
to the powers. The boundary be-
tween Bulgaria and Turkey was an
exceptions; that was a matter, he said,
for direct settlement between the two
governments.
Then the Turkish delegates at
tempted to discuss questions at issue
informally but the allies insisted that
they should put their positions in
writing, which, after conference, the
Turks said they were not prepared
to do.
The allies propose to bring affairs
TO a crisis by a statement in the nature
OF an ultimatum at the next session
of the conference Wednesday. They
express the determination not to
waste more time in waiting for te,e-
graphic consultations, or pretended
consultations between Constantinople
and the Turkish delegation to London,
and will meet at an early hour
Wednesday to decide upon their
policy.
Mediation has two advantages from
the Turkish viewpoint. First, The
tendency Of such an arrangement al
ways is in the direction Of a compro-
mise. In the second place, mediation
would save the Turkish government 9
prestige in the eyes OF the people by
making it appear that Turkey con-
cedes the sacrifices which she inevita-
ly must make To the pressure Of all
Europe instead of the dictation oc
the heretofore despised Balkan
States.
The first, considered from the
| standpoint of the allies, is opposed
TO their interests. Such solution as
mediation offers would be Of further
| disadvantage to them that at least
two powers-Austria and Italy
could not be considered as disinter-
| ested arbitratOrs.
The Turkish design in presenting
counterproposals which left an enor-
nous gulf between them and the AL
lies proposals, was to create a sit
uation in which mediation would ap-
pear justihable, even necessary.
Their argument is that never since
the beginning OF the world has a
mediator, entrusted with a difficult
problem by conflicting parties, given
a verdict entirely favorable to one
side, without compensation TO the
! other. Therefore it would be easier
to recoup part of their losses through
mediation than by battling directly
with their advisory.
And the capital argument remains
that whatever Turkey would be forced
TO cede, her Mussulman population,
particularly the semi-barbarous tribes
of Arabia and Anatolia, would swal-
low lie bitter pill with fewer grim
aces if convinced it was administered
| by a coalition Of the whole Of Europe
instead Of the Vassal states Of Bulgaria
and Servia.
In the camp of the allies the pro-
pOsal for mediation has been received
All agreed that mediation would be
possible of acceptance only if the au-
thority entrusted to the mediatOrs
was Of such limits that it would be
| impossible to deprive the Victors Of
conqucsts rightfHlly gained; that it
must be mediation taking into account
| a ~. e h.,
not the "ntc-bcllum status, and above
all that it must hc mediation, not ar
hitration.
Arbitration, it is pointed out, was
possible before the conflict, not after
wards, unless ON questions of detail
such as the dclimitation Of frontiers
not well defined ny cthnographicaI
+ landmarks