Peace May Depend On Meeting To-day.

New York Times 100 years ago today, May 1, 1913:
Europe Awaiting Anxiously the Result of the Ambassadors' Conference in London.
PLEADS WITH MONTENEGRO
Italy Tries to Induce King Nicholas to Give Way — Other Powers Ask Austria to be Patient.
By Marconi Transatlantic Wireless Telegraph to The New York Times.
    LONDON, Thursday, May 1.— While there is no marked new development in the Scutari situation, which Lord Morley in the House of Lords described as "one of the most perplexing knots imaginable," diplomacy was not inactive yesterday, and Sir Edward Grey, the Foreign Secretary, besides attending a Cabinet Council at which the attitude to be adopted by England in all eventualities was decided upon, had long conferences with some of the Ambassadors, who are to meet in a fateful conference to-day.
    Austria, according to her promise, is waiting to see what is the outcome of to-day's meeting of the Ambassadors, but unless some definite means is discovered of inducing Montenegro immediately to evacuate Scutari, only confirmed optimists believe that the Dual Monarchy will hold its hand much longer.
    There is some tendency to regard the situation as hopeless, but it must be borne in mind that even if Austria determines to take action, with or without Italian co-operation, against Montenegro, such action will not necessarily involve a breakup of the European concert, still less a European war.
    As The Times points out, however, the menace to general peace is more serious than at any other moment since the outbreak of the Balkan war, in the course of which there have been several perilous moments.
    Sir Edward Grey himself has not abandoned hope of being able to set before to-day's conference proposals which will avert the danger of immediate action by Austria, and the Italian Government and monarch on their side are using every influence with the King of Montenegro to induce him to bow to the will of Europe.
    The most hopeful point in the situation is that Austria is not demanding immediate coercive action against Montenegro, but is only pressing for a decision of the powers to take forcible steps to compel King Nicholas to evacuate Scutari if he continues to oppose the summons to do so. It is on this that Sir Edward Grey bases his hope of success to-day.
    All the powers remain agreed that Scutari must be evacuated. Sir Edward's difficulty is to reconcile their different views as to the method by which the evacuation can be obtained.
    Germany and Italy are both pledged to support Austria, though both would prefer concerted to separate action, and are counseling patience. If Austria's patience is exhausted Italy will probably decide to take a hand with her, for Italy's interests in Albania are as vital as Austria's, and she cannot allow her ally to act alone.
    France and Russia are, with Great Britain, agreed about the eventual evacuation of Scutari, but Russia is particularly averse to coercive action until all other means have proved unavailing, and the other two powers of the Triple Entente take a similar line.
    In the meanwhile, it is suggested, a middle course out of the difficulty may he found. This would consist in giving more active form to the blockade by the international fleet of the Montenegrin Coast, which has hitherto excited merriment on the part of King Nicholas's subjects, and in landing from the fleet a detachment to seize Antivari and Dulcigno, so as to show Montenegro that Europe is in earnest about Scutari.
    Such a step, it is argued, would satisfy Austria that the European Concert is not playing her false and induce her to consent not to take separate action for ten or twelve days, during which Montenegro might come to her senses and also have an opportunity of settling the terms of compensation which King Nicholas requires for abandoning Scutari.
    While it is impossible to predict this as a fact, there is reason to believe that some compromise of the kind will be reached at to-day's conference and that the danger of fresh warfare will thereby be averted.

    ROME, April 30.— It is considered here that the last hope of avoiding the gravest complications in the Balkan situation lies in the meeting of the Ambassadors in London to-morrow, when the question of united action by the powers will, it is expected, be decided.
    The general fear in Rome is that Great Britain, Prance, and Russia, not because they desire discord, but because they do not wish to back Austria in immediate action against Montenegro, may procrastinate, thus forcing the isolation of Austria. In such case, Italy, for the protection of her own interests, will almost certainly intervene to insure order in Albania and enforce there the decisions of Europe.

    PARIS, April 30.— The attitude of Austria-Hungary toward Montenegro is watched both by the Government and the public with strained attention.
    The inquietude on the Bourse was deeper to-day than at any time since the Balkan War began, yet an intimation, seemingly derived from official circles, was in circulation that the issue from the present crisis was likely to be peaceful and that a way would be found to persuade Montenegro to yield Scutari in return for other unnamed advantages.
    Much is expected from to-morrow's conference of the Ambassadors in London.

    LONDON, Thursday, May 1.— A Constantinople dispatch says that the Porte has ordered Essad Pasha to disarm and disband his native troops and to send the regulars to Beirut.
    Both Austria and Montenegro, according to Vienna advices, are continuing their military preparations. Montenegro has dispatched 5,000 troops drawn from Scutari toward the Austrian frontier and has mounted heavy guns above Cattaro. Great Ministerial and diplomatic activity prevails in Vienna, where a council of war was held at the Foreign Office last evening.
    One hundred thousand Austrian troops are now moving in the direction of the Montenegrin frontier, according to an Antivari dispatch to The Daily Mail. The majority of these are from Styria. A large number of Austrian troops are also proceeding to Antivari by sea.