TRIPLICE AND PEACE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 304, 20 December 1912, Page 5

TRIPLICE AND PEACE.

ROME, December 19. In the Chamber of Deputies Marquis di San Giuliani. Minister for Foreign Affairs, said the Triple Alliance ( Germany, Austria and Italy 1 had for 30 years guaranteed the peace of Europe and made friendship with other Powers easier. The Alliance, he said, had been renewed without the Allies a__ing for any modificatians. Russia, seems anxious to impress the TE-tions 'With the fact that she will stand behind the Balkan AHieS on their territorial claim-, and prior to M Kokovtzeffs declaration. M. -*< GJers, the Russian Am__s_dor at Vienna, informed the Grand Vizier of Turkey that Rue-in would n-ot reco_i_e Albanian Independence, and would only agTee to the es-t_hli___m-_t of an autonomous province under an international guarantee. These two statements may be taken as notification that Russian m'Jitaiy preparations are sufficiently advanced along the western frontier, so -that a strong etand can. be made to ailonv more troops from the interior line to arrive. The ' exact meaning of the Rr_sSTa_ declaration is obscure. It would look as if Russia had some idea of allowing one or more of the Slav States, preferably -10-tenegTO and Servia. to later on gain a con&iderabje seaboard. Neither of these powers wcruld be acceptable to the Alhamanfi.. Last week the. Vienna "Reachspoet" reporied that 500.000 Russian troops ■were concerrtra—ed in Poland- All the frorrtier corps were on full war footing, "w__e the Pc-iah regiments had been transferred to the interior or to the (______s. The '-leichspaßt"' added thai 100 Russian spies had been arrested in G_li<___ the Austrian province lying between the Carpathians and Russian Poland. Tlie failure of G-reece to sign the armistice proposals has twice delayed the negotiaiioTi- for peace. The Turks ar first refuted tn meet the Greek delegate-, and as-ked the other tiiree belligerent- to state the-.ir tennis. This the A—ies refused to do. and Turkey has now apparently agreed to overlook the state of war which still prevail? in Southern M_ce_o__a. There is littl? rea_nn to doubr th— z Bulgaria and Greece are jea-fous of each other. Greece •i_d hoped for Salonika—very largely Greek in population—but Bulgaria ha; clearly shown that s'.ie ha_ an eye on that- port, ats .i:_ customs would be a desirable ad—itkm to the meagre revenue of tbe "pea-ant State.*" Greece also die net t-__k her interests were sufficienth looked after at the armistice conference The Greek Premier. M. Venizedos, ha* I shown _i__se!_ a capable and resolutt ; _ta-te__—in. and King Ferdinand is ad j nritfcerHy a master of the art of states I mans hip: therefore the struggle be : tween them should be an interestinj I -p-ctacle.