Would Buy Off Montenegrin King.

New York Times 100 years ago today, April 9, 1913:
Suggestion That This Would Be One Way of Averting Threatened European War.
IS SAID TO BE RAPACIOUS
Nicholas, It Is Even Asserted, Is Not Above Rifling the Mails When in Need of Funds.
By Marconi Transatlantic Wireless Telegraph to The New York Times.
    LONDON, Wednesday, April 9.— That King Nicholas of Montenegro be bought off is the latest suggestion toward a settlement of what is described as an awkward and delicate situation. It is understood that the idea has been broached from a quarter where King Nicholas's patriotic posing is taken with several grains of salt.
    The Montenegrin monarch, it is declared, is a keenly acquisitive gentleman, and during his whole career, having no money of his own, he has been forced to employ methods of obtaining it that are inconsistent with strict canons. It is asserted as absolute fact by a London diplomat with personal experience of Montenegro that inhabitants of that country with relatives in other countries have discouraged the latter from sending remittances in a form which would permit their interception en route by the "father of his people."
    As many Montenegrins are still in the United States, it will doubtless be easy to show that this statement is a slander. In any case, it is now suggested that King Nicholas receive an offer of pecuniary compensation in return for the surrender of his claims to Scutari. By that means he would be able to return to his capital with peace and honor, and the great powers would be relieved of the task of coercing a small State which has made heavy sacrifices in the war. Where the money would come from would be a point for future settlement.
It is evident that some way out of the difficulty must be found if the danger of a European conflict, which Sir Edward Grey on Monday said had been avoided just in time, is not to be revived.
    The naval blockade of Antivari having provoked nothing but derision, its extension to an Albanian port, probably San Giovanni di Medua, is expected. Here lies the danger of provoking an outburst of Russian sympathy for the Servians, who have used that port to land troops to assist the Montenegrins in the investment of Scutari. The proposed extension of the blockade would seriously interfere with the commissariat arrangements of the Servian forces outside Scutari.
    The seriousness of the situation is apparent on the consideration of two facts — first, that the blockade of Montenegro was unwillingly resorted to by the powers of the Triple Entente, and only as a means of averting independent action by Austria against Montenegro; second that there is growing agitation against even such a mild measure of coercion in Russia, where it is declared that more forcible measures would be a crime, and that if Montenegro is to be made a scapegoat by Austria war is inevitable.

    BERLIN, April 8.— King Nicholas of Montenegro, answering a telegram addressed to him by the National Zeitung, to-day telegraphed as follows:
    "We hold the profound conviction that our cause is just before God and man. Scutari was the ancient seat of our Kings, and it is indispensable to our national and economic development. Only brute force of numbers can compel us to give up this territory."