The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-06-29 00:00:00

THE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER

range to a point westward of Shipka, then bends a little so
as to pass to the south of Sofia, and then proceeds to the
frontier of Servia. Thus the new Bulgaria will be composed
of the flat country between the Balkans and the Danube,
with the addition of the hilly country to the north of
Sofia No serious attempt was made to preserve the
big Bulgaria invented by General Ignatieff, but Russian
diplomacy made strenous efforts to include Sofia in the
new province, and the other Powers consented on condition
that the line should fan close to the south of that town in
suah a way as not to menace Austrian interests in that
region. England and Austria have not, however, been
saiiifi.d with thus limiting the extent of the new princi-
pality, or whatever it may be termed. They have insisted
upon making the Balkans not only a geographical, but at the '
same time a strong military, frontier. For this purpose they
have insisted upon obtaining for the Porte the right of
placing garrisons in the principal mountain passes, so as to
prevent as far as possible all future Invasion from the north.
As Turkey has lost her first line of defence on the Danube, it
was deemed necessary to strengthen considerably the second
line formed by the Balkans. Russia opposed the scheme on the
ground that the presence of Turkish troops in the moun-
tains would be a perpetual menace to the peaceful dwellers
in the plain, and her plenipotentiaries pointed out that the
scene of the massacres of 1878 would be still exposed to the
dangers of Mussulman fanaticism. But England was in-
exorable in her determination to create an effective barrier
against invasion from the north, and at last a kind of com-
promise was effected, according to which the points to he
fortified and the number of troops to be placed in each of the
passes should be determined by Europe. This will probably
form the elite( subject of deliberation at the meeting of the
Congress to-morrow."

"In circles generally well informed it is stated that
it was simply owing to the fact that Austria took sides
with England that the important Russian concession
was obtained by which the Turks are permitted to
fortify the Balkan passes and garrison them with
irregulars. Peace on these terms, it is at the same
time felt, carries with it a sort of notice to quit when-
ever a fitting opportunity uffers."—Vienna Corre-
spondent of Daily News.

the Holy Land. Whether this rumour has arisen
from a perusal of " Coningsby," or whether it be
based on the nt tion that Lord Beaconsfield would be
_ _

doing a popular thing if be succeeded in that which
the Crusaders failed to perform—anyhow, there is a
very widespread opinion among French politic ans
(and it deserves, at least, mention on that account)
that the coast from Beyrout to Gaza will soon become
English ground, while the Christian standard of
Britain will float over Jerusalem and Damascus. It
is said here that Lord Beaconsfield will never find
such an opportunity as the present for realizing
one of his most oft-avowed dreams. The French
under a republican Government are more indif-
ferent to the fate of the Holy Land than
they used to be under monarchical institutions,
and would make little objection to its pass-
ing under the British flag; while an excuse for
the annexation might easily be found in the necessity
for protecting the Christians of Palestine from fanati-
cal massacres like that of 1860. This, say the French
would set Lord Beaconsfield right with the ecclesiasti-
cal section of Mr. Gladstone's -followers, who accused
him of being indifferent to the lot of the Bulgarian
Christians; while throughout every Protestant home
in the three kingdoms there would be a thrill of joy at
the thought that the Holy Sepulchre was at last
rescued from the custody of infidels. In fact, French
politicians suspect Lord Beaconsfield of planning a
grand coup which would so powerfully stir the senti-
mental and religious chord in his countrymen's hearts
that the supremacy of the Conservative party would
be maintained at the polls—at all events, for the
rest of his lordship's lifetime. In all this, how-
ever, there is no talk of how the Turks would
relish the proposed transfer. Doubtless the
Russians would be glad enough to see England com-
pound their spoliation of the Ottoman territory by
sharing in it; and possibly the Turks also would see no
objection to England's establishing a protectorate over
Palestine, on the condition of her undertaking to be-
come the guardian of the whole Turkish Empire in
Asia. But the question is whether Englishmen, if
they understood the full extent of the responsibilities
in which such a bargain would involve them, would
consent to it, and whether the Turks themselves would
agree to the bargain unless En4land assumed every
one of the responsibilities attendant upon protectorate.
These are questions which I will not venture tO dis-
cuss. I merely record the opinions which are being
circulated abroad, and which may or may not shortly
prove to have a basis in facts.