Plain War Threat Made By Austria.

New York Times 100 years ago today, March 24, 1913:
Ultimatum to Montenegro Demands Instant Stopping of Scutari Shelling on Peril of War.
BUT EUROPE EXPECTS PEACE
Russia Advises King Nicholas and Austria Agrees to Let Servia Acquire Janova.
By Marconi Transatlantic Wireless Telegraph to The New York Times.
    LONDON, Monday. March 24.— Although Austria yesterday delivered to Montenegro what is asserted in Cettinje to be an ultimatum, demanding the cessation of the bombardment of Scutari on pain of attack, Europe entered Easter week with better assurances of peace than there had been for months.
    The Vienna correspondent of The Times regards the Austro-Hungarian action as much less threatening than it is made to appear in the press.
    "Contrary to the semi-official announcement." says the correspondent, "the Austrian rejoinder to Montenegro appears not to bear the character of an ultimatum."
    With Russia consenting as the representative of the Slav nations, that Scutari shall not be given to Servia or Montenegro, King Nicholas's long campaign against that town ceases to have any value, and in diplomatic circles here it is believed that the Montenegrins will at once comply with the Austrian demands and that military operations around Scutari will cease.
    Austria has waived her objections to the retention of Jakova by Servia, thus settling the only outstanding question in the long negotiations over the northern frontiers of Albania, which haye occupied European diplomacy for three months, and once threatened an open breach between Austria and Russia.
    Scutari is to be incorporated in the new Albanian State, while Montenegro and Servia will get Ipek, Prizrend, Dibra, and Jakova, the last a town of 6,000 inhabitants.
    Austria refused for a long time to allow Servia to gain possession of Jakova, for it is of purely Albanian character, and the only accessible market place for the northeastern tribes of Albania. Russia, it is understood, has guaranteed that Servia shall allow the tribesmen free access to Jakova.
    Official announcement of a settlement is expected soon. Once the agreement is officially announced, the Montenegrin and Servian forces will be requested by the powers to withdraw from all the districts recognized by the powers as included within the Albanian frontiers. Unless Scutari should fall in the meantime, the siege is likely to be raised by order of the powers within a few days. This prospect makes it possible to regard with less disquiet the disputes which have arisen between Austria and Montenegro.
    The English correspondents at Constantinople have been permitted to visit the Turkish lines at Tchatalja. They report that the Ottoman forces are completely reorganized. Donohue of The Chronicle says: "Izzet Pasha to-day commands a first-class fighting force."
    Ashmead-Bartlett says this is no longer the same army that was defeated at Lule-Burgas.