Montenegro Defies Powers' Blockade.

New York Times 100 years ago today, April 7, 1913:
Premier Makes Reply to the Protest Sent by the British Admiral.
TEN SHIPS IN SQUADRON
Austria, Italy, France, Germany, and Great Britain Represented — Fleet Off Antivari.
    CETTINJE, April 6.— The little Kingdom of Montenegro has thrown down the gantlet to the six great powers. She declines to yield to the demand of the powers to abandon her attempts to gain possession or Scutari.
    An international fleet, comprising warships or Austria-Hungary, Italy, France, Germany, and Great Britain, is now blockading the Montenegrin Port of Antivari. These include four Austrian warships, the British cruisers Yarmounth, Inflexible, and Gloucester, the German cruiser Breslan, the Italian cruiser Pisa, and the French cruiser Edgar Quinet. Russia is not represented by a warship, but has acquiesced in the naval demonstration.
    On Saturday the British Admiral sent the following message to the Montenegrin Premier, Dr. L. Tomanovics:
    "I have the honor to inform you that the international fleet is assembled in Montenegrin waters as a protest against the non-fulfillment of the wishes of the great powers. I desire to call your Excellency's attention to the presence of the fleet as a proof that the great powers are acting in concert, and request that their wishes be fulfilled without further delay. Please inform me immediately that your Government is ready to carry out the wishes of the great powers."
    To this the Montenegrin Premier replied in a note expressing regret at the presence of the fleet, which he considered a violation of the neutrality proclaimed by the powers at the beginning of the war and to the detriment of Montenegro. The Premier continued:
    "Despite the pressure which the presence of the fleet implies, there will be no departure from an attitude which conforms to the necessities of the state of war existing between the allies and Turkey."
    A brigade of Austrian troops from Cattaro has been manoeuvring near the Montenegrin boundary. The customary notice has not been given the Montenegrin Government, and Austria's action is considered unfriendly and menacing.

    PARIS, April 6.— King Nicholas of Montenegro is quoted in the Temps as saying that he has learned with sorrow that the cruiser Edgar Quinet will represent France in the naval demonstration on the Montenegrin coast.
    "It is a bitter irony, "says the King "that the name of the illustrious Edgar Quinet, the upholder of peoples struggling for independence and unity, should be associated with an expedition against the small but valiant champion of Balkan independence. You may say that despite the measures of coercion taken by Europe against her, Montenegro will yield only to violence. It remains for Europe to add the ridicule of armed force to her injustice."

    ST. PETERSBURG, April 6.—A great Slav demonstration occurred to-day, but the police did not interfere. The climax was reached when the crowd, which numbered 50,000, appeared before Anitchkoff Palace, the residence of the Dowager Empress, sang the national anthem, and displayed banners inscribed, "Down with Austria!" "Scutari for the Montenegrins!" "The Cross Over St. Sophia!"
    A visit was then paid to the cathedrals and to the Guards' barracks, where the officers saluted the banners.

    LONDON, Monday, April 7.— A dispatch to The Chronicle from Vienna says that King Nicholas of Montenegro has resigned as chief in command of the army besieging Scutari to the Servian General Pojovic.
    The correspondent adds that a general storming of Scutari was scheduled to take place Sunday with the aid of fresh Servian ordnance and troops.