Surrender At Once Or War, Say Allies.

New York Times 100 years ago today, January 4, 1913:
Turkey Told She Must Agree to Terms by Monday — Will Submit a Reply To-day.
MYSTERY TO THE DIPLOMATS
Wonder Why Porte Refuses to Take Full Time to Answer — Some Believe She Will Refuse.
Special Cable to The New York Times.
    LONDON, Jan. 3.— The most dramatic moment in the Balkan peace negotiations came to-day, when there was revealed a new situation, mysterious in the extreme.
    When the conference met the Turkish delegates presented their counter-proposals. These failed to meet the demands of the allies, while indicating some readiness to move toward an agreement. Adrianople was the main point of difference. Turkey wanted the fortress eliminated from the discussion as to the territory to be ceded.
    After hearing the Turkish counter-proposals the Balkan delegates asked time to formulate a reply. Their answer was practically an ultimatum. They declined to accept the Turkish terms, and gave Turkey until Monday afternoon to agree to give up Adrianople and the Aegean Islands.
    Then came the most dramatic development of the day.
    "We don't want until Monday," said Reschid Pasha, head of the Turkish delegates. "We will give our answer to-morrow."
    Thus Turkey deliberately curtailed the period of grace allowed her. This surprising action caused a genuine diplomatic sensation. Speculation was rife as to its significance. Possibly the most correct view is that Reschid Pasha realized that a rupture of negotiations was inevitable if Turkey did not give way on Monday afternoon on all points at issue, and, by offering a reply to-morrow afternoon, counted upon the possibility of making fresh proposals which would enable the discussion to be resumed in disregard of the allies' ultimatum. Such a shifting of ground is regarded as a favorable sign, indicative of the fact that Turkey is willing to go still further toward meeting the allies' demands.
    In those quarters where it is believed that the Turkish reply to-morrow will be a refusal to accept the allies' terms it is pointed out that a rupture of negotiations would not entail immediate resumption of hostilities.
    Forty-eight hours' notice would be required to terminate the armistice, and, in that interval one or more of the great powers probably would intervene. Pressure from the great powers in the form of advice to Turkey to meet the allies' demands would afford the Sublime Porte an opportunity or saving its face.
    Happily the explanation of the mystery cannot be long delayed, and, though no predictions can be made with certainty respecting the negotiations, in which all the resources of diplomacy are being employed, there seems to be good ground for the belief that to-morrow's meeting of the delegates will mark at least a further step toward the practical acceptance by Turkey of the chief demands formulated by the allies. If this prove to be correct, the formal conclusion of peace can be only the matter of time required for the discussion of final details.