Albanian Victory

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7930, 13 October 1911, Page 5

Albanian Victory

How the Turks Were Forced io Concede Demands

CHE Albanians have won. In tho face of tho protests of Europe, the Turkification. of Albania by tho methods of Torgut Shovkefc Pasha has been, set aside and tho Albanian demands have be-en granted in full, wrote tho London corre'Spondent of an American paper on August 17th.

To the last moment there was considerable hesitation among the Maliseori as to whether they should * accept the con- | cession ox their own terms. Not that \ they considered tho concession inadequate, )>ut because they questioned the bona hdes of tho concession. Nothing piobably except the influence of King Nicholas of Montenc-gro would have induced them eventually to agree, so complete was their distrust of the Govc-am-miitit in Constantinople. j Writing several months ago ox tho Al- 1 banian cx'lsis, it was pointed out that: notiiing but a display of true statesman- ( ship could prevent tho relations between j Albania and the Porto becoming so 1 strained that consequences of the utmost ! seriousness would inevitably follow. ! That display of statesmanship was not, forthcoming. ■ j 1 urks Forced to Yield. j Tho Malissori, goaded into rebellion,» took the field. The TurJash armies un- ; dor Torgut Shcvket Pasha proceeded on ; their mission of pacification. As a re- ! : suit of this, after months of fighting, j attended by the most horrible circumstances, the Turks finding themselves : face to face with the extermination of a i people, in the face of Europe, have be-eai compelled to grant everything they had refused. A few months of the new Turkish diplomacy have devastated a province, lod to the committal of numberless | atrocities, caused tho expenditure of vast! sums from an already impaired ex- | chequer, filled tho people of a whole district with feelings of detestation of tho Government under which they live, and all to no purpose. Concessions Twelve,

Th© concessions -which, after all these months, Turkey has been compelled to offer are twelve in’number ana are as follows:

1. A general amnesty for all those who took part in the last revolt.

2. Malissori liable for military service shall serve in the vilayet of Skucari or Constantinople. 3. The ICaimakiam of Tnzi must know the Albanian language; Mudirs enali be appointed from among the Bairaktars, and only candidates elected by the people shall ait on communal councils. 4. Taxes shall not be levied during the next two yeara. 5. The sheep tax shall be lowered and a Bill to this effect shall be introduced in Parliament, G. The carrying 1 of arms shall be allowed to all, being prohibited solely in towns and bazaars. 7. A national school in which instruction shall be given in Albanian by State. teachers shall be established in the Sha-la, Shoshi, KreLi, ICastrati, Gruda, Hotti and KJiemeuti districts, one school to each district. 8. In the same districts roadways and mule tracks shall be constructed, the princix>le of and equality of the requirements of all subjects of the empire being taken into consideration. , 9 - The work of road making shall be oegim as soon as possible. 10. Damaged or demolished houses in the above named districts shall be valued by a commission, which shall in- j dude a representative of the vilayet and I a representative of the Archbisnop ot | fchutari. , 11. Should the dTT.IO,OOO (about allotted for compensation by the Sultan aiot be sufficient, a further credit shall j at once be opened. j 12. All refugees who return from J Montenegro to Albania shall receive, until tho next harvest, half a kilogramme j of maize daily per head, with a further donation of AT.! to every adult.

Tho most important of these conces-

sions are’ tiiose relating to the carrying of arms, tho performance of military eenrioo, and pecuniary assistance to tho refugees, and a concession of schools in which the Albanian language will be taught. Scene is Dramatic.

The correspondent of “The Times” at Podgo-ritza describes the final and dramatic scene, when tho tribesmen gathered with their chiefs to meet, the 'Turkish representative.

Tho Minister stood under an awning in tho open plain, surrounded by Montenegrin. officers, while the tribesmen formed a circle around. The Turkish terms wore” read out in Albanian, and after this the Minister made a speech. \v hen the speech had been translated the Grudi chieftain, Sokolbatzi, who- has lived for many years in. Montenegro, stood out from the crowd and declared that the refugees would like to consult tho insurgents across the border. This was evidently no part of tho arrangement, and the Montenegrin general; Vukotitch, at once wont forward to Mm and said something in a low voice, i After hearing this Sokolbatzi announced ! that the terms would be accepted if j they were put on paper. The meeting] at once broke up, and the tribesmen j began streaming across tho plain to the Turkish Consulate, only a email group of chiefs remaining behind and continuing a heated discussion. Feeling Very Bitter.

The correspondent who followed the departing crowd, found the feeling very bitter. On all sides the meal were declaring that they liad been sold by their own, chiefs. Under the walls of the consulate tho storm burst, and in a sudden ebullition of passion a large section of the tribesmen strode off in the direction of the frontier, declaring that they were returning to fight.

Later on a second meeting was held, the party which had broken away and announced its intention of crossing the frontier to fight having again returned. Ihvo minutes after the meeting started the whole of tho Grudi tribe sprang to its feet and withdrew, only to return again after a few minutes. '

There oau.be no question that the utmost distrust of the Turks pervades the Whole people, and there would be no slackening of resistance had it not been that King Nicholas has announced that tho terms must be accepted and that the supplies of maize will he discontinued if they are not. The tribes declare that they can place no faith in Turkish promises, but that they can. in the word of the King.

A few of tho refugees have already crossed the frontier. In a few days it is believed the Maliasori will be back in their devastated valleys. The Government at Constantinople will have gained nothing except a severe financial loss and an even greater loss of prestige. Chamberlain’s Cough Remedy is not a common every day cough mixture. It is a meritorious remedy for all dangerous and troublesome complications resulting from colds in the head, chest or lungs. Sell Ilvmywhole- *