Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-05
TROUBLED EUROPEAN SITUATION.

After twenty days Of regeneration ana
procrastination on the part OF the TURK
isl delegates to the Lon
Turkish don conference. they final
ly replied on the I'd in
NeePoASe' slant by counter pro-
posals that still evaded the point at issue
with the allies. namely. the surrender OF
Adrianople and all territory west. incfud-
ing the besieged fortresses.
On the 4th instant under the threat OF
the allies that they would break on the
negotiations. Rechad Pasha submitted
new proposals which were again evasive.
whereupon the allies delegates. through
DR.. Danef, delivered an ultimatum TO be
finally met on Monday. the 9Th. The
ultimatum reads: First. the relinquish-
ment OF Crete: second, the surrender or
the Aegean Islands: third, the proposed
frontier OF the vilayet OF -Adranople
should include the cession Of Adrianople
to the allies: fourth. if these stipula-
tons are not accepted the negotiations
to be considered as broken on.
If it is true as announced that Nazim
Pasha. the Turkish communicative chief
and minister OF war. has notified the
grand ytzier that the Turkish army can
not resume hostilities Turkey must DOW
to the fates on Monday.
In the discussion that followed the re-
ception Of the proposals OF Rechad Pasna
on the 18th ultimo. Mr.. Venizelos. the
Greek premier. declared these propositions
Iieve they were meant seriously. DR..
Danef the Bulgarian delegate, would
not discuss them. NJ Novakovitch. the
Servian envoy denounced the proposals
as dreams" which appeared tragic
when he recalled the hosts OF brave
soldiers who had fallen on both sides. NJ.
Madtaroff, Bulgarian minister at Lon
don, denounced the whole proceeding as
wrong The allies had presented terms.
Turkey should have offered real counter
proposals. real changes. alterations or re-
fusals, and should not have ignored them
to present totally different scheme. NJ.
Skoulidis. a Greek delegate. said that Tor
the vanquished to dictate terms TO tne
conquerors and expect to retain terri
tories lost by warfare was absolutely un-
precedented." NJ. MiyuSkovitch. the Mon
tenegrin delegate. remarked that Turkey
had not even respected the decision or the
powers. who had suggested Albania as
autonomous under the suzerainty OF the
sultan, while Turkey demanded the SOW
ereignty OF the sultan under a ruling
prince Of the sultan's family.
One Of the Bulgarian delegates. speak
ing to the Turks. said: You must re-
member that the allied
Bulgarian troops are still at Toha-
ITALIA lines. Unless you
warning. are willing to negotiate on
the basis of the ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of Euro
pean Turkey any discussion will be fu-
tile
There is no doubt that Turkey. as
suspected, was hoping to have the powers
step in and relieve her embarrassment.
Rechad Pasha, indeed, made that pro-
posal in the meeting Of the 31st instant.
a proposal which was unanimously re-
jected by the allies.
In the meantime Austria-Hungary has
modified the greater part Of her army
(9JO, 600 mem, which under the circum-
stances constitutes a menace. the gravity
of which is indisputable. Although the
intentions and the pretensions OF the
cabinet at Vienna are not apparent the
general opinion is that tho Austrian gov
eminent would prevent by all means IN
its power the definite establishment or a
Balkanic confederation, susceptible OF be-
coming. IL not q rival In the orient. GER
tainly a barrier to her political and eco
nonlical expansion in what was Turkey
in Europe. Is this the enigma OF tho at.
titude of the Turkish delegates In the
conference?
1t would be we'll not to place too much
confidence in the dispatches announcing
the divisions in the ranks OF the allies.
NJ. Vepizelos would not have praised the
union of the allies II they were divided
as charged. He said in conference the
18th: 1.-The allies would never accept a
discussion of reforms at this stage, when
it was not a question of reforms but a
question Of ceding territories won by
force Of arms and thus rightly belonging
to the victors." This denotes union, GER
tainly.
1t should be remarked that Turkey has
counted largely on these assumed divi-
sons among the allies. and Austr1a-Hun-
gary. 1t is intimated, has been tireless In
efforts to widen the breach. If any. The
fact is the allies have had divisions
Servia and Bulgaria as to whom Monastir
should belong, and Bulgaria and Greece
over the right to possess Saiontki. Now
II is affirmed that the allies will stand
firmly and closely together In the confer
ence at London. After they have fin
ished with Turkey they will have a con-
ference Of their own, i'm which they will
divide the spoils, Bulgaria, Servia. and
Greece being resolved first Of all to MAIN
tain inviolable their Balkan agreement.
X X
Apropos Of Turkeys hopes that the
Balkan entente would prove ilIusory. II
is stated, on the authority
Greece OF the Greek minister at
n London, that tho Greek gov
AoJeeso' eminent has repealed with
the propositions OF the porte
tending to detach Greece from the Balkan
entente.
NJ. Gryparis was Greek minister at Con-
at the opening of the present
crisis. 4 high official Of the Turkish
made to him the most Sc
ductive offers if he would consent to form
q Greco-Turk entente. Greece would re-
ceive absolute satisfaction in Crete and
favors Of the best kind would be &C
corded in all the provinces of the empire
i'm which there were Greek residents. Be
sides Greece would receive the support
Of the Turkish army in case she should
be attacked. These offers were repeated
and confirmed in the most solemn man.
ner by high dignitaries of the empire.
And NJ. Gryparis replied:
at is too late. Greece can no longer
treat with Turkey except with the con-
sent of her allies" And NJ. Gryparis add
ed: 1T was a tragic thing. an affecting
spectacle, to see Kiamil Pasha, that illus
trIous old man, plead the cause Of great
empire with the representative of little
state How things had changed.
LAS much as the Turks had shown
themselves arrogant and superb toward
us. SO now they humbled themselves and
we're amiable and caressing! Destiny re-
serves for peoples as for individuals
dreadful reversals and stupendous falls!'