AN AUSTRIAN SCHEME OF SETTLEMENT.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 927, 1 June 1878, Page 2

AN AUSTRIAN SCHEME OF SE TTLEMENT.

The Vienna correspondent of the ' New York Herald' telegraphs that v scheme lias been proposed for the settlement of the difficulty, whose origin is attributed to the Archduke Albrecht of Austria. Count Andrassy told General Iguatictf, at their recent conference, that the security of the Austrian Empire was incompatible with the treaty of San Stefano. There is no room m the unstable condition of Austro-Hungarian equilibrium for a single additional .Slav. Austria therefore submits the following compromise, which, is now considered m London as the first recognition of the integrity of the Ottoman Empire m I Europe: — 1. Russia -to seek territorial compensation m Asia Minor. 2. To divide European Turkey into | three parts, namely — Northern, Western, and Southern. Each part is to be granted autonomy and administrative reforms. The Northern section (Bulgaria north ol the Balkans) t« be uuder the patronage of Russia ; the "Western section (.Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Albania) under tho patronago of Austria ; the Southern sectiou (riie3saly, Epirus, and Itonmclia) under Greek autonomy, and under the special patronage of England : all the European Powers to guarantee this autonomy. It is believed that each division jjussing into its own natural ethnological and religious sphere would eradicate the cause of war, being entirely severed from the Ottomans. 3. The st i/ua qn » ante belkim to be maintained on the questions of the Straits and the Danube. It is thought m London that Lord Salisbury will adhere to the sclinme, with the reservation that, if Russia annexes territory m Asia Minor, there shall be a neutral zone between the Russian and English frontiers m Asia under the guarantee of the Powers. Should this scheme jneet England's approval, Count Audrassy will again endeavour to revive the Coufcrence ; and, m the event of the Conference being summoned "m consideration of tl>o changes which the events uf the last twelve months have rendered unavoidable m the treaties respecting the Ottoman Empire," it is probable that the San Stefano treaty will be placed m the background.