The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-23
BALKAN KINGDOMS
PLEASED OVER THE
COUNCIL s DECISION
Turkey Was Not Expected
to Render Decision so
Quickly
ONE CRUCIAL POINT OF
DIFFERENCE REMAINS
Question of War Indemnity Must Yet
Be Settled-Allies Propose to
Levy Heavy Payment Upon
the Defeated Nation

London, January 22.-Plenipotentiaries
of the Balkan kingdoms are immensely
pleased over the decision of the grand
council at Constantinople to accept the
advice of the powers. While it had be-
come increasingly certain in the past AZ
hours that the Turkish elder statesmen
were prepared to face the bitter fate that
ends the empires history as an European
nation. it was hardly expected they would
register their decision SO quickly and so
definitely.
This is so unlike the customary sup
porting proof that Turkey might still
have cards up her sleeve.
The portes reply to the joint note Of
the powers will tie handed to the ambas-
sadors tomorrow, however, and the re-
mainder of the negotiations leading to
the signing of the peace treaty are ex-
pected to be an anti-climax.
Question of Indemnity
One crucial point of difference remains
to be settled in the question of indemnity
The allies propose to levy a heavy pay
ment upon the defeated nation. They
speak of $2o0, 100000 as an adequate sum-
Turkish debts attached to the territories
which they win annuex under the treaty
The Turks are likely to contest the in
demnity strongly, and the bankrupt con-
dition of their country furnishes them
with a potent argument for an appeal TO
the powers. Negotiations over the settle
ment of minor questions and for the taxi
ing over of the conquered provinces will
occupy considerable time and it will be
some weeks before the treaty is signed.
M. Novakovitch, the ex-premier OF Ser
via, said tonight:
1.-The Turks seem finally to have recov-
cred the faculty of reasoning, but why
today instead of six weeks ago. as they
must pay what four armies have be al
costing us all this time We have not yet
set down figures for the indemnity, but
we have practically decided on what basis
it is to be calculated and how it is to be
divided among the allies.
Each Balkan state will take as a basis
the number of soldiers it put in the field
averaging the cost of each soldier during
the time the army was on war footing
"SOoner the Better"
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 employed to pay tho
share of the Ottoman debt falling up IN
us proportionately to the territories We
acquire"
DR.. Daneff, head of the Bulgarian dele
cation, expressed satisfaction when coi--
graduated upon the probable peace settle
ment, but he was of the opinion that the
eral weeks more.
Premier Venizelos of Greece said that
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 toward Greece, as they have
been toward Bulgaria in the matter Of
Adrianope, by permitting us to keep
those islands which were conquered by
Hellenic blood and annex the others, pro-
visionally occupied by Italy, for military
reasons as Premier Gioltt officially pro-
can the powers create an autonomous
Albania based on the principle of nation
ality, and then outrage the same prn-
cple when it is a question Of the Aegean
islands, which through centuries of op-
position and persecution have maintained
their national character with enormous
sacrifices? Since we have persuaded our
selves TO bow to the creation OF Albania,
owing to the Austro-Italian interests in
yclved, and to submit in the Adriatc
question, why should Greece be deprived
Of islands which do not concern the in
terests of any other country, when she
is disposed absolutely to guarantee that
they will not be used as military bases,
and since her main object in claiming
them is the highest national sentiment
that of gathering together the whole Hell
lenic family?''
NJ. Miyuskovitch, head of the Monte
negrin delegation, observed that now that
all the gravest problems were about to
be solved 1t seemed incredible that the
legitimate aspirations of Montenegro, the
smallest of the European kingdoms, for
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