AUSTRIA OFFENDED.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 461, 20 March 1909, Page 5

AUSTRIA OFFENDED.

TURKISH SETTLEMENT. RUSSIA UPHOLDS THE CONFERENCE. SERVIAN TROUBLE.. (DT TRI.EOII A I'll Pit KS3 AKSOCMTION —COrriUOnT.) (Rec. March 19, 9.30 p.m.) Vienna, March 19. In reply to a notification by Austria-Hun-gary that she had arranged with Turkey as to tho annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, tho Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs (M. Isvolsky) declared his readineßS, in accordance with Russia's Circular Note of December 19, to come to an understanding with the signatories of tho Berlin Treaty for the holding of a Conference regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina and other points of tho programme proposed to bo submitted. This reply has caused great umbrage to Austria-Hungary, whoso policy aims at restriction of the proposed Conference of the Powers to tho registering of accomplished facts. Russia, with the support of Britain and France, is seeking to find a formula that will be acceptable to Austria-Hungary and Servia, with a view to ending tho AustroServian crisis, which continues critical. CONFERENCE MUST DECIDE. There were originally three main issues— (1) as between Turkey and which was provisionally settled on a basis of monetary compensation, to be paid by Bulgaria to Turkey, Russia bridging the gap by means of the war indemnity; (2) as between Tnrkey and Austria-Hungary, which was provisionally settled on a basis of monetary compensation, to be paid by Austria-Hungary to Turkey, in consideration of the' annexations of Bosnia and Herzegovina; (3) as between Servia and Aus-tria-Hungary, which is still unsettled. The Russian reply which lias offended AnstriaHuneary concerns settlement No. 2, which Aus-tria-Hungary and Turkey arrived at by direct negotiation, the former wishing to present to the Conference an "accomplished fact.". The Russian attitude, now maintained, was sufficiently foreshadowed in 11. Isvolsky's Note of December, which emphasised the grave dangers of the unilateral action by AustriaHungary and Bulgaria, and declared that the preliminary exchange of views among the Powers proposed by Austria-Hungary constituted an introduction to tho Conference with which the final decision rests. The Note added that Clause 25 of the Treaty of Berlin cannot simply be abolished, and another Article must be substituted to define the situation as regards Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Vienna correspondent of "The Times" commented at the time; "It is difficult to see how AustriaHungary can evade this cogent argument, however unpalfttablo it may be to submit to a close overhauling of her action by the Conference.