CITY EDITION. PUBLISHED AT 5 P.M. THE BALKANS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10752, 25 April 1913, Page 3

CITY EDITION. PUBLISHED AT 5 P.M. THE BALKANS.

THE ROUMANIAN CLAIM. Bj Tel«graph.—Press Association. —Copyright. (Received April 25, 10 a.m.) LONDON, April 24. On February 24 the Roumanian Cabinet agreed to accept the mediation of the Powers. M. Filipesco, Roumanian Minister of Agriculture, dissented and resigned. M. Filipesco now accuses M. Takejonescu of pursuing a peace-at-any-price policy in order to appease Europe. Future generations, he said, will suffer through Roumania losing her pre-eminence in the Balkans through pusillanimity and in exchange for Silistria. THE FATE OF SCUTARI. RUSSIA AND MONTENEGRO. LONDON, April 24. The " Westminster Gazette," quoting Russia's warning to Montenegro to desist from opposing the Powers, states that it does not believe that Russia will oppose the Powers' necessary action in upholding their decision regards ing Scutari. (On April 11 a message from St Petersburg said that the Foreign Minister had issued a statement dealing with the Ambassadors' Conference and the Balkan negotiations. Having preserved Diakova, Prizrend. lpek and Dibra for the Slavs, said the Minister, Russia thought it necessary to concede Scutari to Albania in order to conserve the peace, a rupture of which for the sake of Scutari would have been absurd. The town was purely Albanian; and the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Montenegro would be weakened by an influx of 100,000 men foreign to their religion, blood and language. Moreover, King Nicholas had broken the understanding not to enter on the war without Russia's consent. Russia advised him to desist from Opposing the Powers.) ATTITUDE OF THE TRIPLE ENTENTE.

WILL REFUSE TO LAND TROOPS. The Paris " Matin " states that the Triple Entente will refuse to land troops in Montenegro. TJiere is no reason to believe that Germany and Italy will encourage Austria to land men. THE SITUATION. RUSSIAN PRESS COMMENT. The St Petersburg newspapers of all shades declare that a new fact ha-s arisen requiring the revision of the Powers' decision as the only means of avoiding dangerous complications, and instancing the former abandonment of the policy of the status quo. The. newspapers predict a European conflagration in the event of Austria taking isolated action. RUSSIAN ACTIVITY. HEAVY ARM ORDERS. A Berlin message says that the arms factories at Solingen are unusually busy with largo Russian and Roumanian orders for swords. Russia is stipulating for the speediest possible deliver j".