Balkan States Give Sultan Ultimatum.

New York Times 100 years ago today, October 14, 1912:
Uncompromising Demand for Reforms Voiced by Bulgaria for the Allies.
POWERS ALSO REBUFFED
Reply to Them Milder Than Expected, but Servia Rejects Proposals — Montenegrins Capture Town.
Special Cable to The New York Times.
    LONDON, Monday, Oct. 14.— Bulgaria presented a note to Turkey last night and a separate note to Austria and Russia in behalf of the Balkan States.
    While the declaration is described in some quarters as an ultimatum, no time limit is imposed for the reply from Turkey, and in some quarters there is a disposition to think this not only leaves the door still open for peace but also that it is an indication that the Balkan league is far from being so ready to proceed to the last extremity of war as has been generally supposed.
    An eminent financier expressed the opinion yesterday that Bulgaria had been bluffing, but at the same time it was stated that the bluff had been carried so far that it would be difficult to close the game without bloodshed.
    According to a dispatch to The Times from Sofia the note presented to Turkey says that notwithstanding the promise of the great powers to take in hand the realization of reforms in European Turkey the Governments of the allied States feel bound to address themselves directly to the Sublime Porte and declare that only radical reforms, sincerely and integrally applied, can improve the miserable condition of the Christian population of European. Turkey, guarantee order and tranquillity in that country, and assure durable peace between Turkey and the Balkan States.
    The three States, regretting that Montenegro cannot join them owing to recent events, invite Turkey to apply the reforms indicated in Article XXIII. of the Berlin treaty, on the basis of the principle of nationality, with administrative autonomy of the provinces. Belgian or Swiss Governors, elective Assemblies, their own gendarmerie and militia, and free education, the reforms to be applied by a council composed of an equal number of Christiana and Moslems, under the superintendency of the Ambassadors of the powers and the Ministers of the four States in Constantinople.
    The note finally demands an undertaking on the part of the Porte to execute the reforms within six months and to recall the order for mobilization.
    With reference to Bulgaria's answer to Austria and Russia, who acted for the powers, the Sofia correspondent says:
    "In it the three Governments express their gratitude at the interest shown by the great powers in the condition of the populations of, European Turkey and takes. cognisance of their promise to undertake the realization of the reforms in administration on the basis of Article XXIII. of the Berlin treaty.
    "After so many promises made by Turkey and recorded in international documents, it would be cruel to these populations not to endeavor to obtain more radical and definite reforms in order to ameliorate their condition.
    "Three States, therefore, have addressed themselves directly to Turkey, indicating the general nature of these reforms and the necessary guarantees for their application. Should the Turkish Government act as proposed, order and tranquillity will be established in the Ottoman dominions and durable peace will be assured between Turkey and the Balkan States, toward which Turkey has too often assumed an arbitrary and provocative attitude."
    The Times, commenting on these notes, takes a pessimistic view of the situation and declares there is no chance that the Porte will grant these concessions, and war may be expected at any moment.
    A dispatch to The Daily Mall from Podgoritza, Montenegro, says:
    "No permits have been issued to leave Podgoritza for the front, the order of the Minister of War being that until the revolutionary fighting is over, and the regular plan of campaign is entered upon, no war correspondents or military attachés may witness the operations.
    "The Minister of the Interior kindly received me and explained the general outline of this plan.
    "The Montenegrin forces are split up into three armies he said — 'one, consisting of three columns, which is now surrounding seventeen battalions of Turks at Tushi; another army is moving on Scutari, on the west side of Lake Scutari, and a third is lying near by. The three columns will move on Scutari, on the east side, of the lake, supported in the rear by some of the troops from Berane.' "

Trying to Halt Panic.
    A Paris dispatch to the Times says: "Strenuous efforts, which are vigorously seconded by the well informed press, are being directed to calming the excited state of European feeling and the alarm, which was reflected at the close of the week on the European Bourses.
    "Simultaneous endeavors at Vienna and Berlin in the same directions show that grave as the situation and its prospective consequences must appear, there has undoubtedly boon some exaggeration with regard to the danger of immediate dissensions among certain great powers.
    "As one of the ablest and best informed of the French writers points out to-night, the real danger from the point of view of European peace in the larger sense will arise, not during the impending Balkan war, but at the conclusion of peace when the war is over."
    The Daily Telegraph's Vienna correspondent reports that the Queen of Roumania ("Carmen Sylva") has sent this telegram to Baron Destournelles de Constant, who in a vehement letter attacked King Nicholas of Montenegro:
    "The entire moral and fair-minded world will envy you the virile courage, of which you have given such a brilliant example in your admirably written letter. I congratulate you on this proof of loftiness of soul."