Allies Enraged By Turks' Reply.

New York Times 100 years ago today, December 29, 1912:
Reading of the Porte's Peace Proposals Evokes Cries of Amazement and Anger.
BALKANS' TERMS IGNORED
"Preposterous!" Cries the Bulgarian Leader — Montenegrin Envoy Wants to Resume War.
RECHAD PASHA ALONE CALM
He Promises to Inform the Sultan of the Allies' Firm Position — Conference Adjourns to Monday.
    LONDON, Dec. 28.— Indignation mingled with astonishment among the allies' delegates to the Balkan peace conference to-day when Rechad Pasha, head of the Turkish representatives, read the reply of the Constantinople Government to the demands of the allies in regard to territorial settlement. It was expected that the counter proposal of the Porte would be unacceptable, but none of the delegates of the other nations was prepared for the unyielding attitude shown in the Turkish reply.
    Turkey's maximum demands are regarded as impossible, and when adjournment was taken to Monday it was evident that the Turks must lower their demands very much or consent to negotiate on a basis of the terms proposed by the allies. If they try to stand by their guns or resort to strategy the allies may break off the negotiations. It is thought not improbable that Turkey desires this, with the hope of intervention by the powers which would lead to a European conference or mediation. The plenipotentiaries could then say to the Mussulman world that they yielded to the pressure of all Europe. The allies do not object to mediation, if it is understood that the mediators must respect the territorial acquisitions resulting from the war.
    The terms embodied in the Turkish reply are as follows:
    First— The Province of Adrianople to remain under the direct administration of Turkey.
    Second— Macedonia to be converted into a principality with Salonika as its capital. The principality to be under the suzerainty or the Sultan of Turkey, but governed by a Prince, chosen by the Balkan allies and nominated by the Sultan of Turkey. This Prince to be a Protestant and from a neutral State.
    Third— Albania to be autonomous under the sovereignty of the Sultan and governed by a Prince of the imperial Ottoman family, who is to be chosen for a term of five years with the possibility of a renewal of his appointment.
    Fourth— All the islands in the Aegean Sea to remain Turkish.
    Fifth— The Cretan question not to be one for the decision of the conference, as it is a matter between Turkey and the great European powers.
    It was Turkey's turn to-day to furnish the presiding officer, and Rechad Pasha took the chair, promptly unfolding a document containing the proposals of his Government, which he presented to the conference.
    Even while he was reading the propositions the Balkan delegates could not refrain from manifesting their amazement by means of gestures and expressive exclamations.
    "These terms do not form even the basis for negotiations," was the general sentiment of the envoys, after the Turkish delegate had had finished reading.
    "Why did we fight, then?" "What is the return for our victories?" "Doesn't the blood shed by 100,000 glorious victims deserve some other reward?" "It is a mockery and not a serious conference!" were some of the sharp ejaculations which crossed the mediaeval picture gallery in St. James's Palace.
    The chief of the Turkish delegation, as Chairman, could hardly control the excitement. The first speaker was the Greek Premier, M. Venizelos. The Turkish conditions were so astounding, he said, that he could scarcely believe that they were meant seriously.
    Rechad Pasha replied, defending the claims of his Government. He expressed the opinion that the work of the delegates would be smoother and the mutual relations better if the press did not chronicle all the details of the conference.
    Dr. Daneff, head of the Bulgarian envoys, said that all hopes of concealing the proceedings from the press being lost, he proposed to have a special tribune for the newspaper men in the hall of St. James's. He dilated on the impossibility of dealing with the Turkish demands.
    Rechad Pasha interrupted and asked why.
    Dr. Daneff answered that he would not even enter into the merits of the question, the Ottoman claims being preposterous.
    M. Miyuskovitch, the Montenegrin delegate, remarked that Turkey had not even respected the decision of the powers. It had been agreed by the Ambassadors' conference that Albania should be autonomous under the suzerainty of the Sultan, while Turkey demanded the sovereignty of the Sultan, with a ruling Prince from the Sultan's family.
    Stojan Novakovitch, the leading Servian envoy, indignantly refused even to consider the Turkish "dreams," which appeared tragic when he recalled the hosts of brave soldiers who had fallen on both sides.
    M. Madjaroff, Bulgarian Minister at London, said the whole procedure was wrong. He pointed out that as the allies had presented terms. Turkey should have offered real counter-proposals, that is, real changes, alterations, or refusals, and should not have ignored them to present a totally different scheme.
    M. Skouloudis, a Greek delegate, said that for the vanquished to dictate terms to the conquerors and expect to retain territories lost by warfare was absolutely unprecedented.
    Premier Venizelos asked, for the sake of historic curiosity, that copies of the document which Rechad Pasha had read be given to the delegates. The sitting was suspended while the Secretaries made copies, the Balkan representatives gathering in one room and the Turks in another.
    "When the sitting was resumed Rechad expounded the main argument of Turkey in support of her claims. He said that the powers, since the beginning of the troubles with the Balkan States, had declared that in case of a conflict nobody would gain from it, whatever the result, the powers being determined to maintain the status quo.
    Dr. Daneff retorted:
    "But you forget that after the war all the Premiers of the powers recognized that the status quo was ended and that it was impossible to continue a policy based on its maintenance."
    Rechad Pasha made further efforts to induce the allies to state what they objected to in his propositions, but was unsuccessful, all repeating that it was impossible to take them as a point of departure, as they seemed to have been drafted by a person unacquainted with the events of the last three months.
    M. Venizelos pointed out that Turkey had refused to apply to Macedonia the reforms proposed by Count von Berchthold, which it is ready to grant, now that Macedonia is entirely in the hands of the allies.
    M. Novakovitch asked the Turks to say openly whether their proposals represented their last word.
    Rechad Pasha was evidently disconcerted by this point-blank question. He eluded a direct answer, saying that his instructions did not authorize a reply either way.
    M. Venizelos wished to add an interpretation of the desire of the allies. He declared that they would never accept a discussion of reforms, especially concerning Macedonia, especially 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.
    Rechad Pasha, in view of the turn taken by the discussion, said that he would transmit to Constantinople the observations made by the allies, in the hope that he would receive the reply of his Government by Monday, to which date the conference adjourned.
    The informal conversation between the delegates which followed the formal session was even more animated in character.
    Rechad Pasha was the only calm personage present. With his right hand in his trousers pocket and his left hand caressing his beard as if hiding a smile, he stood there quietly without uttering a word.
    Dr. Daneff, the Bulgarian leader, was greatly excited. Shaking his arms in the air, he exclaimed:
    "For whom, then, have we fought?"
    He went on making similar utterances in the same tone of voice. His face was congested, and he was compelled to put up his hand to his eyes at every moment in order to save his eyeglasses, which threatened to fall owing to the violence of his emotion.
    Lazar Miyuskovitch, the Montenegrin delegate, shouted with a firm voice:
    "I am going to pack and to return and resume my place at the front."
    Stojan Novakovitch, the "Servian Bismarck," said dryly:
    "The Turks have not yet learned that honesty is the best policy."
    Premier Venizelos was also indignant, but was able to control himself. He thought the situation a deplorable one, and exclaimed: "What is the use of staying here?" The members of the Greek delegation were the first to leave the palace.
    One of the Bulgarian delegates, speaking to the Turks. said:
    "You must remember that the allied troops are still at the Tchatalja lines. Unless you are willing to negotiate on the basis of the dismemberment of European Turkey, any discussion will be futile."
    Dr. Daneff, when in a calmer mood, said he was now more hopeful of a successful issue of the negotiations, as the delegates had at last really got down to something like business.