Balkan Foes Sign Treaty Of Peace.

New York Times 100 years ago today, May 31, 1913:
Proceedings in London Concluded Quietly in an Hour's Time.
SIR EDWARD GREY PRAISED
Bulgarian Delegate Expresses Gratitude to Him — Montenegro Signs, but Accuses Britain.
Special Cable to The New York Times.
    LONDON, May 30.— The treaty of peace between Turkey and the Balkan allies was signed at St. James's Palace at 12:40 P.M. to-day. Thanks to the firm action of Sir Edward Grey, the trusted and respected spokesman of the European concert, the Balkan war, after a duration of nearly eight months, was definitely terminated by a ceremony lasting exactly one hour.
    Five copies of the treaty, one for each of the belligerent States, on plain printed sheets, with blanks left for signatures, lay on the polished mahogany table when Sir Edward opened the proceedings by inviting the delegates to sign the treaty. Thereupon the copies of the treaty were passed from hand to hand by the different delegates for signature as they sat around a long table.
    The proceedings were businesslike and brisk. The only jarring note, from the point of view of the Servians and Greeks, was the discovery of an annexe to the treaty, believed to have been drafted by the Bulgarians, proposing that the treaty should come in force without further ratification. This annexe was not signed.

    LONDON, May 30.— Dr. S. Daneff, the Bulgarian peace delegate, in the course of an interview after the signature of the preliminary treaty of peace, said:
    "I am rejoiced. It means not only Balkan peace, but general peace, for Europe is saved from one of the most thorny problems of the Near East. We owe a deep debt of gratitude to Sir Edward Grey, whose enduring and untiring mastery in treating diplomatic problems has brought about peace much sooner than some of us had expected."
    The first meeting of the peace conference has been fixed for Monday, June 2.
    M. Popovitch, the Montenegrin chief delegate, after signing the preliminary treaty on behalf of Montenegro, delivered a short speech, in which he said:
    "We have signed the preliminary treaty because nothing else remained for us to do. We are glad to have peace, but are profoundly dissatisfied with the terms we have been obliged to accept. We have been despoiled of the fruits of our victories. We have been made the whipping boy of Europe. Great Britain took the leading part in depriving us of Scutari. We look here to secure a modification of the Albanian frontier, so as to give us lands for cultivation and a natural route between Podgoritza and Ipek."
    The Bulgarian and Turkish peace delegates also signed a protocol providing for the immediate removal of their respective armies from the scene of operations.
    After informing the Ambassadorial Conference of the signing of the peace draft Sir Edward Grey suggested that the conference limit its discussions to three questions — a Constitution for Albania, the delimitation of the southern frontier of Albania, and the status of the Aegean Islands. The Ambassadors are now awaiting further instructions from their Governments regarding a Constitution for Albania, but the conference is working in greater harmony and expects to conclude its labors by the end of June.
    The relations between the Balkan Allies show a distinct improvement. The postponed meeting between the Servian and Bulgarian Premiers is now definitely fixed to take place on the frontier to-morrow evening. The latest suggestion for a settlement of the quarrel between the two countries is that Servia and Bulgaria denounce the old treaties and conclude a new alliance providing for a joint administration of Macedonia.

    ROME, May 30.— The signing in London to-day of the preliminary peace treaty between the Balkan Allies and Turkey caused great satisfaction both at the Quirinal and the Vatican, and the hope was expressed that further complications between the Balkan States might be avoided. In Government circles it was said that Greece should understand that Italy held no hostile feelings against her, but was merely desirous of protecting her own interests in the Adriatic.

    ATHENS, May 30.— Artillery fire was opened on the Greek positions in the direction of Eleuthora yesterday by the Bulgarian troops stationed at Prawa, to the east of Salonika. The Bulgarian commander refused to enter into negotiations with the Greek commander for the purpose of stopping the firing. Details of the engagement have not yet been received.
    Owing to this aggression by the Bulgarians a portion of the Greek fleet has been sent to Eleuthora.

    BELGRADE, May 30,— The Pravda says that Bulgaria is ready to negotiate with Servia for a revision, of the treaty of alliance on condition that all the Balkan Governments order a demobilization of their forces.