THE BALKANS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2862, 20 January 1909, Page 19

THE BALKANS.

.«. — : LONDON, January 11. Austria's offer of compensation depends on Turkey's agreeing to arbitrate as to whether the domains are to be vested in the Ottoman State or in the two recentlyoccupied province?. As an outcome of the movement recently started at Constantinople to boycott Greek goods if the Greek Government reopened the Cretan question, a great meeting at Constantinople protested emphatically against Greece raising the question. (Subsequently a deputation ascertained that the Greek Government was willing : to leave the solution of the question in the hands of the four Powers interested in the administration of Crete. j January 13. I The Turkish Grand Vizier has accepted , Austria's offer of compensation, after vainly claiming another £500,000. ' The Vienna Bourse was greatly excited as a result of the settlement between . Austria and Tuikey, and etocks rose considerably. January 15. A semi-official bulletin states that the coining conference will simply express I approval of the Austro-Turkish agreement. BELGRADE, January 15. The Servian press is greatly dejected | over the Turko-Austrian agreement, and j insists that the question of Bosnia-Herze-govina stall lemaine the European problem, and that Servia'e voice must be . heard. | January 18. j King Peter has accepted the Cabinet's resignation. M. Protilch, a leading vdherent of M. Pasitch, succeeds M. Velimirovitch as Prime Minister. CONSTANTINOPLE, January 12. 'lha Turkish Grand Vizier gave an assurance to yesterday's deputation that the Greek Government was willing to leave the solution of the Cretain question in the hands of the four Powers. January 13. The Russian Ambassador informed the Grand Vizier that £650,000 was the utmost that Bulgaria was able- to pay, and he hoped that the Porte would accept this st:m in settlement of their diff&rences. The British, French, and German Ambassadors spoke in similar tercns. January 14. The Grand Vizier has informed the Turkish Chamber that German instructors h.ave been engaged to reorganise the army j>nd British officers to ieorgajii.«e the navy. It will be necessary to revise the Constitution, making it more in conformity with the country's needs. The Government considered that the new regime has completely changed the aspect of the Macedonian problem, and has expressed a hope of the immediate solution oi the Bosnia-Herzegovinian difficulty. A favourable issue of the eitua-

tion with Bulgaria is hoped for, and it i| anticipated that a solution of the Cretan question, v.'ith the co-operation of th« protecting Powers on the basis of maintaining and safeguarding Turkish rights t will be effected. The Chamber passed a vote of confidence in the Cabinet. January 17. The Turkish boycott of Austrian goods has oeased. January 18. The Porte has agreed to Kiamil Pasha's projected airangement with Austria whereby the draft protocol will be eubmitted to Austria for acceptance.