The reports of peace negotiations between the Porte, the Servian
Government, and the Prince of Montenegro have gained strength all the week, and as regards Servia may be true. Safvet Pasha appears willing to treat upon the basis of the status quo, and Servia to be ready to postpone compensation for her sacrifices until after the great war. Peace may, therefore, be arranged, but it will have no effect upon the serious straggle. Servia is exhausted, and it would probably be more con- venient for Russia to treat her as a Turkish province nominally hostile, though really friendly, than to arm and feed a Servian corps d'arrnie. Montenegro is in a different position, and its Prince, who has never been defeated, holds out for considerable cessions of territory. The Turks say they are willing to give them, but plead that Austria forbids them, and the negotiations advance very slowly. The truth seems to be that neither Austria nor Turkey is willing that the Montenegrins should have a port, which, as they dread, might in certain contingencies be turned into a Russian naval station on the Adriatic.
