n6a TURKEY 



and above all the quite recent Kotchana massacres (Aug. ist), where over a hundred 

 victims (principally Bulgars) were done to death by the populace or the soldiery after a 



bomb explosion, had wrought up public feeling in Sofia to the highest pitch. 

 Unrest The official paper, the Mir, brought out a series of articles proclaiming the 



Itaa'states. necessity of European control in the Balkans, and declared that the main- 



tenance of the status quo meant a continuance of Turkish anarchy till the 

 Christian population was exterminated. Diplomatic difficulties helped to create 

 hostility to Turkey among the Balkan States. Montenegro demanded a rectification 

 of the frontier on the basis of an agreement, already ten years old, which had never been 

 carried out. This the Porte refused. The Turkish Government, having authorised 

 Servia to transport an important consignment of artillery from France across Turkey, 

 now refused to allow the war material either to be forwarded to its destination, or to be 

 sent back to Salonica; and the Servian press in its turn showed intense irritation. A 

 final measure precipitated events. By way of mending matters, the Ottoman Govern- 

 ment apparently thought it adroit policy to try a palliative combined with intimidating 

 measures. On September 22nd the Porte made it known through the Stamboul press, 

 that, acting on the application of the ambassadors of the Great Powers, and more espe- 

 cially on the advice given by M. Sazonoff, Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs, to 

 Turkhan Pasha, Turkish Ambassador at St. Petersburg, the Ottoman Government was 

 resolved to extend the privileges granted to Albania to all parts of the Turkish Empire. 

 On the other hand, the semi-official Yeni-Gazette of September 25th announced that for 

 the forthcoming Grand Manoeuvres at Adrianople, the War minister was there concen- 



trating twelve divisions of effectives, besides calling up the redifs from the 

 Turkish districts of Adrianople, Salonica, Monastir and Uskiib. On the 26th the 

 zrand Jeune-Turc newspaper published an interview with Gabriel Effendi Nora- 



maaoeuvres . , . , ,. . . , J; . . r . ., . , ^, 



ordered at doughian, Minister of Foreign Affairs, confirming this news, and the paper 



also announced that about 300,000 men would shortly be concentrated in 

 Thrace. On the soth, on the advice of the representatives of England and 

 Russia, who pointed out to the Porte how little the circumstances called for an an- 

 nouncement of manoeuvres on so extraordinary a scale, the War Minister issued a 

 dementi. But it was too late. Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro and Servia, allies in vir- 

 tue of agreements concluded in profound secrecy, believing that Turkey had reached 

 the required pitch of civil and military discord and anarchy, decided to profit by the 

 opportunity to realise by force of arms the long-standing ambitions which the Young 

 Turkish Revolution had seemed so sure to bring to nothing. A brief statement of dates 

 and facts is all that remains to be given. 



On October ist the Kings of Bulgaria, Greece and Servia ordered general mobilisa- 

 tion; and in response, on the same date, an Imperial irade was issued ordering Turkish 

 mobilisation. Still, as mobilisation is not war, efforts were made for peace 

 Mobilisation by European diplomacy, especially by the Triple Entente. On October 

 'serfi'a'and' ^ tn on t ^ ie m iti at i ve f the ambassadors of France, Great Britain and 

 Greece. Russia, the Porte declared itself ready to accept the application of Article 



23 of the Berlin Treaty, hitherto never carried out, by which a special 

 administration was provided for the vilayets of Turkey in Europe. But the Balkan 

 States, who might perhaps have been satisfied with this concession some weeks sooner, 

 now wanted something more, declaring that they put no confidence what- 

 soever in an y reforms to be carried out by Turkey alone without the con- 

 Powers. trol of the Powers. Montenegro decided to hasten the crisis, and declared 

 war on Turkey on October 8th, when her Minister, M. Plamenatz, left 

 Constantinople. European diplomacy made one more supreme effort. A collective 

 note, drawn up upon an idea conceived by M. Poincare, the French Premier, was issued 

 simultaneously to the Porte and the four Balkan States. It was declared 

 therein that Europe had decided " to take in hand " the execution of re- 

 forms in European Turkey. The note gave satisfaction to none of the 

 parties involved. On October i4th the Governments of Bulgaria, Greece 



