AFTER THE WAR.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 14 August 1913, Page 5

AFTER THE WAR.

CABLE NEWS

(United Prm Aiweiatam-:®* Wtotfic TiUgraph—Cofflr*§ht.)

SPEECH BY SIR EWDA'R'D GREY. CONCERT -OF EUROPE MAINTAINED. TURKEY'S INTERESTS. (Received August 13, 11 a.m.) LONDON, August 12. Sir Edward Grey, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, speaking in the House of Commons, confirmed the report of the decisions regarding the "Aegean Islands and Albania. The concert of Europe had been firmly maintained. The great question now occupying the attention of the Powers was the reoccupation of Thrace and the situation in Macedonia. The Treaty of London provided that Turkey's frontiers should give adequate protection to Constantinople; these, but for the Powers' intervention, might have been less favourable. Sir Edward said he spoke in Turkey's interests when he said that the occupation of Adrianople by Turkey might wreck the whole of the prospects. If armed intervention by one or more of the Powers compelled Turkey to take the Powers' advice, she would incur vast responsibilities from which Britain would be unable to defend her, Britain did hot intent! to suggest revision of the Peace Treaty.

A GREAT SPEECH. FIRM BUT CONCILIATORY. ALL DANGER PASSED. (Received Last Night, 10.45 o'clock.) • LONDON, August 13. A: majority of the Ambassadors, together with distinguished strangers, were in the gallery listening to Sir Edward Grey's reassuring speech. Sir Edward Grey thought that; thought the Powers were not unanimous, there was no tendency to ft; division into opposing- camps. He declared that the Great Powers had accepted the Bucharest settlement. Some were in favour of a modification, but it would be futile to suggest "unless the Powers suggesting it were prepared to use force. The Powers would not employ force to expel Turkey frora.Adrianople and Thrace ; but Turkey would stand to lose heavily if she refused obedience to the voice of Europe. "Millions of the King's subjects are Mohammedans," said the Foreign Minister, "but we cannot: undertake to protect Mohammedan' Powers outside the British dominions from the consequences ,o£ their own acts."

Incidentally, Sir Edward Gray remarked that London had been a clearing-house for the Great Powers' opinions. 'The Ambassadors' Conference had turned many difficult corners. Every State of the Balkans during the last few weeks had disregarded the treaties and agreements, and <v>ti<j4it to take advan« tage of the situation he to . select particular State to blame. Were he to do so lie would raise a hue and "cry against it. The war .at the beginning was a war of liberation. It rapidly became a war of conquest, and ended in being a war of exterminations The conflagration had now burned itself out. Everything was consumed. Referring to *tKe war between Bulgaria and her quondam Allies, Sir Edward Grey said this was a melancholy exhibition of racial bitterness and human perversity. A more distressing spectacle was seldom witnessed. Tt was impossible not to be apprehensive for the future. They conld only hope that the Balkan States would grow in their sense of responsibility and profit from the new opportunities which were enabling them to secure their respective places in* the world. Sometimes, said the Minister, the concert of Europe was criticised for not preventing these happenings. He was afraid the concert of Europe was not very sensitive to such criticism.

Sir Edward Grey strongly entreated Turkey to observe the Treaty of London. The' Powers, besides securing for Turkey a strong defensive frontier, had opposed the demand for an indemnity. ; He next warned Turkey and the Balkan States that if intervention was provoked, it woufd not be an intervention by, Europe, or a Power armed with an European mandate, but some one Power would be provoked to action in its own interest.

Mr Bonar-Law, Leader of the Opposition, in a cordial speech, extolled Sir Edward Grey's services to the cause of European peace. Sir Edward Grey had been, greatly helped by the fact that he spoke for thr whole nation, and by the British disinterestedness throughout, and hip refutation for straightforwardness and candour had enabled him to make the most of these two advantages. Mr Bonar-Law concluded by congratulating Sir Edward Grey upon his success. He added that the House might feel sure that the greatest of all dangers,* the danger of ar European war, had gone.

A BRIGHTER OUTLOOK. POWERS YIELDING. (Received La,st Night, 10.45 o'clock.) VIENNA, August 13. Russia, at the instance of France, has yielded oft the question of Kavala, and Austria has abandoned her demand for a revision of the Bucharest settlement, restricting herself to withholding her recognition of tl Treaty.