Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-01-23
SUSPICION Is Manifest.

nounced, today, of the Grand Council
at Censtantinople to accept the advice
of the Council.
While it had become increasingly
certain. in the past As hours, that the
Turkish elder statesmen were prepared
to face the bitter fate that ends the
empires history as a European nation.
it was hardly expected they would
register their decision so quickly and
SO definitely. This is so unlike the
customary Turkish tactics that some
suspicion is entertained without sup
porting proof that Turkey might still
have cards up her sleeve.
The Porte's reply to the joint note
of the Powers will be handed to the
ambassadors, tomorrow, however, and
the remainder of the negotiations lead
ing to the signing of the peace treaty,
are expected to be an anti-climax.
One Point of Difference.
One crucial point of difference re-
mains to be settled in the question of
indemnity. The allies propose to levy
a heavy payment upon the defeated
nation. They speak of S200,000,000 as
an adequate sum. Their minimum is
an amount equal to the Turkish debts
attached to the territories which they
will annex under the treaty.
The Turks are likely to contest the
indemnity strongly, and the bankrupt
condition of their country furnishes
them with n potent argument for an
appeal to the Powers. The negotiations
over the settlement of minor questions
and for the taking over of the con-
quered provinces will occupy con-
siderable time and it will be some
weeks before the treaty is signed.
Servian's Statement.
NJ. Novaokoffvitch, the ex-premier of
Servia, said, tonight:
1.-The Turks seem finally to recover
the faculty of reasoning, but why to-
day instead of six weeks ago as they
must pay what our four armies have
been costing us all this time. We
have not yet set down figures for the
indemnity but we have practically de-
cided on what basis it is TO be call
culated and how it is to be divided
among the allies. d
Each Balkan state will take as
basis the number of soldiers it put In
the field, averaging the cost of each
soldier during the time the country
was on a war footing.
The sooner Turkey concludes peace
the less she will have to pay. The
Powers must help us in this question
also, as the indemnity will be en-
ployed to pay the share of Ottoman
debt falling upon us proportionately
to the territory We acquired
DR.. Daneff, head of the Bulgarian
delegation, expressed satisfaction when
congratulated upon the probable peace
settlement but he was of the opinion
that the negotiations would drag along
for everal weeks more.
Premier Venizelos of Greece, said he
expected the decision as Turkey had
no other reasonable alternative. He
said.
II cannot believe that the Powers
will complete their work without
showing themselves generous toward
Greece as they have been towards
Bulgaria in the matter of Adrianople,
by permitting us to keep those islands
which were conquered by Hellenic
blood and annex the others. provis-
ionally occupied by Italy, for military
, reasons. as Premier Giolitti Officially
proclaimed"
An Autonomous Albania?
Can the Powers create an autono-
nous Albania based on the principle
of nationality and then outrage the
same principle when it is question of
the Aegean islands, which through
centuries of oppression and persecu-
ton have maintained their national
character, with enormous sacrifices?
M. Miyuskovitch, head of the Mon
tenegrin delegation, observed now that
all the gravest problems were about
to be solved it seemed incredible that
the executive aspirations of Monte
negro-the smallest of the European
kingdoms-for the acquisition of Scu-
tart should be opposed and thus threat
en- European peace.
1t appears. nevertheless that all the
ambitions of Greece and Montenegro
are not likely to be realized. Austria
and Italy are united in their OPPOSE
tion to the occupation of Scutari by
Montenegro. The attitude of Italy is
due partly to her obligations as Il
member of the Triple Alliance and
partly to the bad feeling existing be-
tween the Italian and Montenegrin
reigning houses, Notwithstanding the
close relationship.
/ Greeks and Saionik.
The Greeks hope to be able to re-
tain Saloniki with the consent of the
allies and the assistance of the Pow
ers since the town of Adrianople and
most of the viayet will go to Bull
garia. But the Bulgarians advance
the same claim, although neither
country has majority of the inhabi-
tants of Saloniki.
One ambassador has remarked that
II the question of Saloniki We're to be
solved according to the principle of
nationality the town should be al
lotted to Spain because it contains 75.-
600 Spaniards. which is half the popu-
lation. The Greeks claim the next
largest number while the Bulgarians
maintain that their fellow countrymen
are more numerous in the surrounding