Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 77, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 December 1912 — AIL STAND FIRM ON PEACE TERMS [ARTICLE]

AIL STAND FIRM ON PEACE TERMS

Both Turks and Allies Say They Cannot Recede. PROPOSALS ARE RIDICULED Balkans Insist Adrianople Be Included in Territory to Be Ceded Victors in Conflict—Envoys ", Meet Saturday. London, Dec. ,27. —Both the Turks ’and the Balkan allies are standing by their guns on the peace terms. Both assert that it is impossible to recede from their positions. Nevertheless, those who think they know what is going on behind the scenes still believe the probabilities of the conclusion of peace are greater than of the resumption of the conflict. The exchange of cipher dispatches between the administration at Constantinople and Rechad Pasha continues, but the chief of the Turkish plenipotentiaries declines to divulge the nature of the reply he will present to the allies Saturday, when the conference reassembles at St. James’ palace.

Allies’ Terms Absurd. “While I cannot discuss the reply of the Ottoman government,” said Rechad Pasha, “nothing prevents me from saying that the terms the allies have proposed are simply absurd. They have produced this impression wherever heard, even outside of Turkish circles. It was never known that after the conclusion of an armistice one belligerent party could ask the other to concede territories bravely defended and still resisting with heroism. “Turkey was induced to accept an armistice only on the advice of the powers, in order to avoid useless carnage on both sides. The same humanitarian considerations led the Ottoman government to ask for the revictualing of the besieged towns and might induce the government to yield certain conditions for the sake of peace. - But there is a limit which the allies have far surpassed.” Allies Give Their Side. The allies, on the other hand, assert that the armistice was arranged to give Turkey an opportunity of making peace terms without suffering further losses in the field, and they characterize Turkey’s talk of keeping Adrianople, Janina and Scutari and regaining Salonika as simply laughable. General Danglis, the Greek chief of general staff, said: “Let them come and take Salonika if they can. Even the dust of our ancient heroes would rise up to defend our rights.” Report Peace Concluded. Belgrade, Dec. 27. —According to a private telegram from Sofia peace has already been concluded between Turkey and Bulgaria, not in London, but in Constantinople as a result of direct negotiations conducted between General Savoff and the porte. The telegram says nothing about peace between Turkey and Servia, Montenegro and Greece. Political leaders here do not credit the report.