Servia Gives Way.

New York Times 100 years ago today, December 17, 1912:
Will Abandon Durazzo, It Is Reported — "Conversations" Begin To-day.
    LONDON, Tuesday, Dec. 17.— It was reported through Berlin last night that the Servian Ministers had in council decided, in deference to Russian and French advice, to yield the port of Durrazo, and that the Servian Premier, M. Pasitch, was coming to London in connection with this determination.
    The Belgrade correspondent of The Daily Mail says:
    "I am authoritatively informed that, for the purpose of hastening the negotiations and proving her faith in the justice of the powers, Servia is willing to evacuate Durazzo on condition that Great Britain occupy the port until the fate of Albania is definitely decided."
    There are other indications of relaxation in the Austro-Servian difficulty. The Austrian Emperor is credited with remarking that he was hopeful of the ability of Austria to carry out her Balkan programme in its entirety without resort to force.
    It is officially announced that the ambassadorial "conversations" in regard to the Balkan situation are to begin to-day at the British Foreign Office. The Ambassadors of France, Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Italy will in the course of these "conversations" go over the whole ground of the status of European Turkey as a result of the war. They will informally discuss the questions of the interests of the great powers arising out of the change in the territorial situation. There is no fixed programme, and efforts will be made to avoid touching on questions in regard to which some of the powers have taken up a fixed stand and which they do not consider to come within the scope of the discussions.
    The conference is called among the diplomats "the clearing house," as they expect to agree over many questions which have arisen through the new situation. These questions will then be practically solved when they come up for discussion at the future conference, when the new map of Eastern Europe will be definitely settled. This is likely to be held in Paris or The Hague.
    Russia and Austria are the most directly interested, and their action will be of vital importance.