POWERS' CONGRESS

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 330, 17 October 1908, Page 5

POWERS' CONGRESS

ANGLO-RUSSIAN AIMS.

A REMARKAKLE UNANIMITY OF YIEWS.

COMPENSATION CLAIMS. NOT TO BE AT THE EXPENSE OF NEW TURKEY. DARDANELLES—CRETE.—CENTRAL ASIA. (81 TILEGaiPH—FttESS ASSOCIATION—COPTUIGUT.) (Rec. October 16, 10.30 p.m.) Lontton, October 16. As the result of the conferences between the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Sir Edward Grey) and the Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs (M. Isvolsky), the following announcomont has been agreed on between the two Ministers, and has been issued by the Foreign Office:—

The exchange of views between M. Isvolsky and Sir Edward Grey has led to a oompleto agreement regarding the Near East. It is agreed that a Conference of the Powers is necessary, but that, to ensure success in reaffirming respect for the law of nations and in making reparation to those injured, the Conference should bo limited in scope, and should deal exclusively with questions arising out of violations of the Treaty of Berlin. The first object of the Conference should be the compensation of Turkey.l On this point there seems to be a general agreement among the Powere that provision must also be made for effectively strengthening tho present regime in Turkey, which affords tho best safeguard for tho maintenance of peace. It is likewise hoped that means will be found to moot the reasonable wishes of the smaller Balkan States,. not at Turkey's expenso. There is good rea-son to believe that the Cretan question will be satisfactorily dealt with, although it is provisionally excluded from the scope of the Conference as being in the first instance a question for discussion between Turkey and the Protecting Powers. It is hoped that the moderation, reasonableness, and disinterestedness of these views will commend thom to the signatories of the Treaty of Berlin. It is not intended to submit tho question of the Straits to the Conference. It is a question in which Russia and Turkey are primarily concerned, and there is no dosiro on Russia's part to settle it in a way in any sense hostile to Turkey, or to seek for compensation, inasmuch as Russia enters tho Conference as one of the disinterested Powers. The announcement finally declares that subjects arising under tho Anglo-Russian Convention havo been reviowed, and that discussion has proved tho identity of views of the two Ministers, which promises a continuance of cordial and harmonious co-opera-tion between the two Governments in tho settlement of the Central Asian question. [The " question of tho Straits" evidently refers to the right of passage of tho Dardanelles. By stipulation in 18-11, 185G, 1871 and 1878, the Dardanelles was closed to non-Turkish warslips, but, by an agreement in 1891 between Russia and Turkey, the ships of tho so-called volunteer fleet of Snssia, bearing tho flag of the merohant marine, are allowed-free passage of the Dardanelles; subject to tho condition that they must "give notice to the Porte if they carry convicts or soldiers. During the RussoJapanese war, two cruisers of the Russian volunteer the Peterburg arid Smolensk, flying "the'Russiai" commercial flag,' made'their way by''this moans from _ the Biack Sea to the When in the Red Sea they commenced business as warships, and stopped a number of ships, in some oases seizing mails. The P. and 0. steamer Malacca, carrying ammunition for the British navy to Shanghai and Hong-Kong, was seized by the Petorburg, and was claimed as a prize; she was released only after strong protests by the British Government. After repeated protests by Britain, tho Russian Government requested the British Government to dispatch British cruisers to search far the two Russian cruisors, and inform them that, by order of the Tsar, they were to cease stopping vessels in their search for contraband goods. The Smolensk and the Petorburg were met with near Zanzibar, and the Tsar's order was communicated.] BIG RUSSIAN LOAN. FIFTY MILLIONS TO HELP THE TSAR'S FINANCE. (Reo. October 17, 0.6 a.m.) London, October 16. A Russian foreign loan of fifty millions sterling is expected to be placed in a few weeks. [The London papers have anticipated a big Russian loan for some time, and allege that Paris is "piling up gold" in anticipation.J NEW RUSSIA AND NEW TURKEY. FRANCE'S ATTITUDE. ANGLO-RUSSO-FRENCH ENTENTE. (Rec. October 16, 11.1 p.m.) Paris, October 16. M. Pichon, French Minister for Foreign Affairs,. interviewed on the Balkan question, said it must be solved by the unanimous, equitable, and cordial agreement of Europe. The Anglo-Russo-French understanding was closer than ever. London, October 16. "Tho Times," commenting on Russia's abnegation and self-restraint, says:— "lb' is profoundly gratifying to find ourselves side by side with New Russia, in championing tho ■ rights of Now Turkey." PASSAGE OF THE DARDANELLES. A FRENCH SUGGESTION, TO BE CLOSED ONLY IN WAR TIME. Paris, October 15. [ Leading French newspapers Bupport tho | Russian wishes with' reference to the Dardanelles, and suggest that a good solution of the problem would be to leave the passago open in times of peace, and close it in war times, if Turkey so desires. A BALKAN CONFEDERATION. UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF TURKEY. AN ANTI-AUSTRIAN BULWARK. St. Petersburg, October 15. The well-known journal "Novoo Vremya" advocates a Balkan federation, undor a regenerated Turkish hogemony, as tho best defence of Balkan interests against Austrian attacks. AUSTRIA AND THE CONFERENCE. SERIOUS RESERVATION. THE BOSNIAN.SEIZURE MUST BE ACCEPTED. London, October 15. Austria declinos to agree to a European conforcnco unless her annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is accepted as an accompjjgbsd fftofc Mid in legftliaad without dinouii* gios-