Second Mediterranean Agreement among Great Britain, Austria-Hungary, and Italythe following points, intended to confirm the principles estab-
lished by the aforementioned exchange of Notes, and to define
the common attitude of the three Powers in prospect of the
eventualities which might occur in the Orient.
I. The maintenance of peace and the exclusion of all policy of
aggression.
- The maintenance of the status quo in the Orient, based on
treaties, to the exclusion of all policy of compensation. - The maintenance of the local autonomies established by
these said treaties. - The independence of Turkey, as guardian of important
European interests (independence of the Caliphate, the
freedom of the Straits, etc.), of all foreign preponderating
influence. - Consequently, Turkey can neither cede nor delegate
suzerain rights over Bulgaria to any other power, nor
intervene in order to establish a foreign administration
there, nor tolerate acts of coercion undertaken with this
latter object, under the form either of a military occupa-
tion or of the despatch of volunteers. Likewise Turkey,
constituted by the treaties guardian of the Straits, can nei-
ther cede any portion of her sovereign rights, nor delegate
her authority to any other Power in Asia Minor. - The desire of the three Powers to be associated with
Turkey for the common defence of these principles. - In case of Turkey resisting any illegal enterprises such as
are indicated in Article 5, the three Powers will immedi-
ately come to an agreement as to the measures to be taken
for causing to be respected the independence of the
Ottoman Empire and the integrity of its territory, as
secured by previous treaties. - Should the conduct of the Porte, however, in the opinion
of the three Powers, assume the character of complicity
with or connivance at any such illegal enterprise, the three
Powers will consider themselves justified by existing
treaties in proceeding, either jointly or separately, to the
provisional occupation by their forces, military or naval,
of such points of Ottoman territory as they may agree to
consider it necessary to occupy in order to secure the
objects determined by previous treaties. - The existence and the contents of the present Agreement
between the three Powers shall not be revealed, either to
Turkey or to any other Powers who have not yet been
informed of it, without the previous consent of all and
each of the three Powers aforesaid.
The undersigned Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary of His Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty
has been instructed by his Government to sign the present Note
and to exchange it against a similar Note of the Government of
Her Britannic Majesty.
The undersigned takes this occasion to renew to His Excel-
lency the Marquess of Salisbury, Principal Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs of Her Majesty the Queen, the expression of his
highest consideration.
Signed: KÁROLYIBritish reply to Austrian Note. London, December 12,
1887.
H. My’sGovernment have considered the points commended to
their acceptance by the identic note of the Austro-Hungarian
and Italian Governments.
The three Powers have already communicated to each other
their conviction that it is their common interest to uphold the
existing state of things upon the shores of the Mediterranean
and the adjoining seas. The four first points recited in the note
are in strict conformity with this understanding, as well as with
the policy which has always been pursued by the Government
of Great Britain.
The fifth, sixth, and seventh points refer to certain special
dangers by which the state of things established by treaties and
the interests of the three Powers in the East may be menaced,
and to the course which should be pursued if those dangers
should arise. The illegal enterprises anticipated by the fifth arti-
cle would affect especially the preservation of the Straits from
the domination of any other Power but Turkey and the inde-
pendent liberties of the Christian communities on the northern
border of the Turkish Empire established by the Treaty of
Berlin. H. My’sGovernment recognise that the protection of the
Straits and the liberties of these communities are objects of
supreme importance and are to Europe among the most valu-
able results of the treaty; and they cordially concur with the
Austro-Hungarian and Italian Governments in taking special
precautions to secure them.
The eighth point provides against a contingency which,
without technical illegality, may frustrate the object of the
treaties altogether. It is necessary, however, to avoid a premature
publicity which might precipitate the lapse of Turkey into that
state of vassalage from which it is the aim of the three Powers to
protect her. In view of these considerations, the undersigned, H.
My’sSecretary of State for Foreign Affairs, is charged by H. My’s
Government to communicate to the Austro-Hungarian Gov-
ernment their entire adhesion to the nine points recited in the
identic note of the two powers, that is to say:
I. The maintenance of peace to the exclusion of all policy of
aggression.- The maintenance of the status quo in the East, based on
the treaties, to the exclusion of all policy of compensa-
tion. - The maintenance of the local autonomies established by
these same treaties. - The independence of Turkey as guardian of important
European interests (the Caliphate, the freedom of the
Straits, etc.) to be independent (sic) of all foreign prepon-
derating influence. - Consequently, Turkey can neither cede nor delegate her
rights over Bulgaria to any other Power, nor intervene in
order to establish a foreign administration there, nor