Evening star., 1915-08-16
NEARING CLIMAX
IN BALKAN CRISIS;
LONDON GLOOMY
Fears Concessions Offered
Will Not Be Sufficient to
Win Bulgaria.
NISH AND ATHENS HOLD
CENTER OF STAGE TODAY
National Assemblies Which Are
Convening There Have Vital
Decisions to Make.
TEUTONS PREPARED TO ACT
Large Forces Concentrated Along
Balkan Frontiers Awaiting De-
cision as to Continuance
of Neutrality.
NISH AND ATHENS HOLD
CENTER OF STAGE TODAY
TEUT0Ns PREPARED TO ACT

LONDON, August Io.-Ihe
Balkan crisis is drawing near a
climax. The national assemblies
of Serbia and Greece meet today,
with the probability of a definite
decision as regards Bulgaria's ter
ritorial demands, upon which
hinges the question of united ac-
ton of the Balkan states with the
allies.
Pessimistic Over Outlook.
In the best posted quarters here the
outlook is regarded with a degree of
pessimism. 1t is expected Serbia will
seek a compromise and Greece will re-
jeet the Bulgarian contentious.
Reports from Athens indicate that
King Constantine is insisting the new
cabinet must maintain strict neutrality.
hold Greece from participating in a
plan of united Balkan cooperation
with the allies.
Teutons Ready to Act.
In the meantime there are many evil
dences of Austro-German preparations
to deal with the Balkan situation. Ac-
cording to information from Bucharest,
German army corps have been concen-
frated near the Junction of Hungary,
Rumania and Serbia. This. with the
bombardment of Belgrade and the sac-
tivity of Austrian artillery at many
points along the Danube, lends sup
port to reports Of great Austro Ger
man offensive in the Balkans.
The outcome of the crisis is awaited
most anxiously as determining whether
the allies will receive new support
from the Balkans and whether Ger
many's supplies of ammunition for
Turkey will continue to be shut off by
the Balkan barrier.
Bulgarian officials do not expect an
agreement will be reached. but the
Serbian minister at London, M. Bosh-
kovitch. told the Associated Press he
believed a middle ground would be
found on which 1T will be possible to
unite the Balkan states.
King Calls His Councillors.
The importance of the Balkan situa-
tion is emphasized by the morning pa
pers. which point out particularly that
events there may reach crisis within
twenty-four hours. King Charles of
Rumania called special meeting of
the cabinet at Bucharest yesterday to
which the leaders of all political par
ties well as influential members of
the chamber were summoned.
The Serbian national assembly when
1t reassembles at Nish today is to re-
q "a ma frnn prnvD q =
Pachitch on the Bulgarian negotia-
tions. Simultaneously the Greek
parliament will meet at Athens to oust
the present cabinet. with the supporters
of former Premier Nenizelos, as power
full as ever.
Rumania May Break Deadlock.
The Daily News says editorially that
Rumania may make sudden move
which will solve the Balkan deadlock.
Decisive action by Rumania," says
the paper, would mean that she had
obtained assurances of Bulgaria's at
titude, which is the great danger point
thus we are driven back as always
to rift between the Bulgar and the
Serb"
The article closes with an impassioned
appeal to Serbia to yield the conces-
sions sought by Bulgaria.
SO much Importance is attached to
the results expected from the proposals
made by the entente powers to Serbia
and Greece regarding concessions to
Bulgaria that Bulgaria has recalled
from Constantinople delegate who
went there to negotiate with Turkey,
says dispatch from Sofia to the Daily
Mail
Promises Made Bulgaria.
BERLIN. August Is, via London, Au-
gust 16.-Regarding the note Of the
entente powers to Bulgaria, the corre-
spondent at Sofia of the vossische
Zeitung telegraphs:
:" entente nations promise, as
consideration for Bulgarian assistance,
TO secure from Serbia the cession of
the non-contested zone in Macedonia,
with the exception of a small strip
of the Serbo- Albanian frontier, which
Is to be retained to permit of a COM
mon Greco-Serbian frontier.
by the non-contested zone is un-
derstood to mean that part of Mace
donia which under the provisions of
the Balkan alliance should have fallen
TO Bulgaria after the Balkan war.
The extent of the cessions from
Greece in the hinterland of Kavala is
left undetermined. The entente allies
point out that this depends upon the
extent of Greek compensation in Asia
Minor.
Inc entente ailleS In auultion pro-
posed verbally that Anglo-French
troops should occupy the territory un-
Til the end of the war, when it would
be handed over to Bulgaria, thereby
solving the difficulties of transferring
the territory before the results Of the
war were known
Tone Friendly to Allies.
NISH, Serbia, August Is, via London,
August 16.-Eforts of the quadruple
entente to settle the differences of Bull
garia with Serbia and Greece have
been undertnkea with ''the best inten-
tions for the future of the Balkans" /"