The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-01-04
TURKS PROPOSE TERMS.
THEY BOW TO DEMANDS OF
ALLIES.
But Hold Out for Retention of Adrian
opie with Adjacent Territory and
Aegean Islands-Want Powers to
Settle Albanian and Cretan Qucs-
tiOnS.


tracted diplomatic skirmishing the
Turks finally capitulated to a ma
Jority of the demands of the Balkan
allies at today's session Of the peace
conference in st. James palace. They
agreed to cede practically the whole
OF the Ottoman empires European do
minions except Adrianople and the
territory between it and Constanti-
nople to their victorious foes.
The terms the Turkish delegates
presented to the conference, as a
counter proposal to the demands of
the allies, were:
The rectifcation of the Turko- Bull
garian frontier by making the boun-
dairy west of the line now occupied by
the troops of the allies in the vilayet
Of Adrianople.
The question of the status of Ad-
rianople to be settled by Turkey and
Bulgaria direct.
The cession of the remainder Of
European Turkey, including Janina
and Scutari, to the allies.
The Albanian and Cretan questions
to be solved by the powers.
The Aegean islands to remain Tur-
kish.
The announcement of these terms
was wrung from the Ottoman dele
gates with the greatest difficulty. They
came only after Rechad Pasha has re-
iterated Turkeys desire to shift re-
sponsibility for adjudicating all the
vital questions to the great powers
and the representatives of the allies
had registered their Interchangeable OBJ
jections to such course and had
given the Turks plainly to understand
that the failure Of the Ottoman dele
gates to embark upon serious nego-
tiations would mean resumption of
hostilities.
Today's sitting was the most mo-
mentous and exciting since the be-
premier, NJ. Venezelos, presided and
invited Rechad Pasha to present the
Turkish counter proposals as the
Turks last Monday had agreed to do.
Rechad said his Interpretation Of
the badly transmitted kilograms Of
the early week had been correct.
His government proposed to submit
all questions at issue, except Adrian
ople, to settlement by the powers.
This caused an outburst of indigna-
tion which NJ. Venezelos was hardly
able TO put down. Several Of the DEL
egates shouted that it was not dig
nifled to turn such vital matters into
joke, while others observed that
they had not come all the way to
London and remained here for three
weeks to hear a proposition advanced
which might have made at the time
the armistice was signed.
When relative calm was restored
M. Venezelos, DR.. S. Daneff, leader
OF the Bulgarian delegates, NJ Nov
akovitch, 'Servian, and NJ. Miyus-
kovitch. Montenegrin, each for their
respective countries, declared they
would not accept the proposed media
ton by the powers and insisted that
the Turkish delegates present a prac-
teal and definite proposal
Rechad then announced that his
instructions contained another alter
native and requested time to formulate
it, After a short recess Rechad
stated that Turkey, desiring to give
tangible proof of her love for peace,
in Difference to advices received from
the powers, was ready to make the
maximum Of possible concessions to
the allies by granting a rectifcation
of the frontiers, ceding the territories
westward Of the line occupied by the
allies in the vilayct OF Adrianople
TO them.
NJ. Daneff said it would be impos-
sible for Bulgaria to renounce her
claim to possession Of Adrianople and
he could not accept such an indefinite
offer.
NJ. Venezclos said the proposal of
Turkey must declare explicitly that
the question of Adrianople must be
settled independently later He add
cd that the proposed compromise
should even include territory not yet
occupied by the allies. citing as an
instance Janina. II. NIiyuskovitch
made a similar claim ON behalf Of
Montenegro concerning Scutari.
Rcchad then said the translation
of his communication had not been
finished but that the first part Of it
naturally meant the ccssIoG of ia
ninl and SCutari He added that