AUSTRIA AND TURKEY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 74, 30 March 1910, Page 7

AUSTRIA AND TURKEY.

PRINCE FRANZ FERDINAND OF AUSTRIA. PROJECTED VISIT TO CONSTANTINOPLE. By Telegraph.-Press Association.— Copyright, VIENNA, 29th March. Pourparlers are in progress relative to a projected visit to Constantinople by the heir-presumptive to the AustroHun^arian throne, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Referring to Austro-Russian diplomatic relations, particularly with regard to Balkan matters, the Constantinople correspondent of The Times stated, under date 11th February :—: — "The Turkish press, on the whole, is inclined to regard the Austro-Russian detente with a certain degree of suspicion, which is, doubtless, due to the traditional conception of Russia as tHe hereditary enemy and to memories of the Murzsteg programme and the annexation of the occupied provinces on the part of Austria-Hungary. The Ikdam, for example, discussing the conditions laid down by the Novoe Vramya for an improvement of Austro-Rus-sian relations, refuses to accept them as genuine currency, and remarks : — 'The more we examine the Russian journal's conditions, the more we are convinced that we are faced by a mere diplomatic manoeuvre.' The Ikdam adds that the Novoe Vremya's desire to sco Count Aehrenthal's declarations safeguarding the future integrity of the Balkan ■ States seems to suggest an indirect method of extending Russian protection to the Balkan Slavs, and thus reviving the policy of Jlentchikoff, which can hardly be described as being in accordance with the real interests of Turkey. I am informed from an authoritative source that the Austro-Russian detente is directed solely to the restoration of the diplomatic relations , of the two States to their normal cordiality, and that there is no question of any division of Turkey into spheres of influence, or of any renewal of the ilurzsteg agree ment. Turkish official circles, which are aware of this, are less pessimistic than the press, and it may be hoped that we shall soon see a revival of confidence in the good intentions of the Russian Government. "