Turkey Accepts The Powers' Terms.

New York Times 100 years ago today, April 2, 1913:
Agrees Unreservedly to Peace Plans, While Allies Are Said to be Insisting on Modifications.
MONTENEGRO STILL DEFIANT
And Discord Is Arising In the Concert as to the Naval Demonstration Against the Little State.
By Marconi Transatlantic Wireless Telegraph to The New York Times.
    LONDON, Wednesday, April 2.— Turkey has unreservedly accepted the terms recommended by the powers as a basis of peace.
    The reply of the allies has by now probably been communicated to the Ministers of the powers in the Balkan capitals. It is believed to be an acceptance, but with reservations in regard to indemnity and other matters. In the meanwhile little Montenegro's refusal to bow to the commands of the great powers is causing no end of diplomatic heart-burning. The element of comic opera, which seems inseparable from Montenegro's attitude in war, is introduced by King Nicholas's statement that the army telegraph operators refused to transmit his orders to army headquarters, and that consequently the bombardment of Scutari continues.
    Cettinje telegrams to The Times confirm the latter fact, indicating that, without deigning to reply to the communications of the powers and in defiance of the European concert, the Montenegrins have begun a general attack on Scutari.
    The capture of Tarabosch by the Montenegrins is reported, but the report is not confirmed.
    The proposal for a naval demonstration by the powers is meeting with difficulties. First Russia withdrew from participation, pleading that no ship was available. Then Germany was said to be making excuses, although one Berlin report says the cruiser Breslau has been ordered to the Adriatic. With Russia and Germany missing, Great Britain and France would act on behalf of the Triple Entente, and Austria and Italy on behalf of the Triple Alliance. Italian participation is extremely unpopular in the peninsula, and, as The Times remarks, the abstention of any one of these four powers might now inconceivably wreck the whole scheme, and with it the Albanian settlement reached by the powers after so much labor.

    CONSTANTINOPLE, April 1.— The Turkish Government to-day declared that it unreservedly accepted the terms of peace proposed by the European powers.
    The Foreign Office handed the Ottoman acceptance to the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps this morning, accompanied by an expression of thanks to the powers for their mediation.

    CETTINJE, April 1.— Montenegro has answered the latest demand of the powers regarding the withdrawal of civilians from Scutari by stating that army headquarters refused, for military reasons, to permit the transmission to the commandant of the beleaguered town of a cipher dispatch from his Government. The Montenegrin Government, however, has offered to submit to headquarters a request for the transmission of a message in plain language.
    In reply to the powers' previous note Montenegro expresses regret that she is unable to defer to their wishes that she cease hostilities at Scutari and in the territory allotted by the powers to Albania.

    COLOGNE, April 1.— The naval demonstration against Montenegro in order to induce her to agree to the terms of the powers is to take the form of a peaceful blockade of the Montenegrin harbor of Antivari, according to an inspired dispatch to The Cologne Gazette from Berlin.
    No measures of force have yet been contemplated by the powers.

    MALTA, April 1.— The British armored cruiser Defence has been ordered to be ready to sail to-morrow to participate in the demonstration to be made by Austro-Hungarian and British Warships on the Montenegrin and Albanian Coasts in order to coerce Montenegro into a cessation of the bombardment of Scutari.

    VIENNA, April 1.— Part of the Austrian squadron is reported to have reached the Montenegrin port of Antivari; the remainder is held in reserve at Cattaro. Transports with 3,000 infantry on board accompany the warships.
    It is understood that unless the siege of Scutari ceases by to-morrow a naval demonstration will begin.

    BERLIN, April 1.— The small German cruiser Breslau has been ordered by the Government to participate in the blockade of the Montenegrin Coast.
    In response to an appeal for medical and surgical aid for the sick and wounded at Belgrade, made to the United States Embassy in Berlin by John E. Jackson, American Minister to Servia, Dr. Edward Avery Newton of Pennsylvania has formed a column, composed of American doctors and students, which will leave here to-night for Belgrade.
    Those composing the column are E. A. Gilcreest of Jamestown, Texas; W. V. Boyle of Indianapolis, Robert R. Sattler and William H. Wenning of Cincinnati, C. E. McGlumphy of Moundsville, West Va.; J. M. Love of Norfolk, Va., and H. A. Rosenkranz of Los Angeles.

    BELGRADE, April 1.— Special dispatches from the front say that the Servian and Montenegrin forces are bombarding the Scutari forts with success.
    Their surrender is expected within a day or two.

    ROME, April 1.— Ismail Kemal Bey, head of the provisional Albanian Government, arrived here to-day and had a conference with officials of the Italian Government.
    The attitude of Italy with regard to Albania was discussed at length.
    The terms of mediation offered by the European powers to Turkey and to the Balkan Allies were as follows:
    I. The frontier of the Ottoman Empire in Europe shall start at Enos and, following the course of the Maritza River, and then that of the Ergene, shall end at Midia. All territories situated to the west of this line shall be ceded by Turkey to the allied States with the exception of Albania, the delimitation of which shall be fixed by the powers.
    II. The question of the Aegean Islands shall be settled by the powers.
    III. Turkey shall abandon all claim to Crete.
    IV. The powers cannot favorably entertain the demand for indemnity, but they will admit the allies to participate in the discussions of the International Commission in Paris for an equitable settlement of their participation in the Ottoman debt and in the financial charges of the districts to be handed over to them. Turkey is to be asked to take part in the labors of this commission.
    The great powers declare at the same time that as soon as these bases are accepted hostilities shall cease.
    On March 28 Bulgaria accepted the offer of mediation, but persisted in her demand for a war indemnity and declined to agree to the suggested frontier, proposing to substitute a frontier line from Midia on the Black Sea to the Gulf of Saros, at the top of the Peninsula of Gallipoli.