The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-10-23 00:00:00

11 •
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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23rd, 1880.

TURKEY AND THE POWERS.

This has been a stan ling he td-:ine in the news .
papers for emit) years, and under varying cir-
cumstances. It was in the aunteun of 1875 thet
the risings in Bosnia and the Iletzegevina con-
veyed the first indications of the revival of that
great Eastern Question which has since attracted
so much of European attention, and brought
about a war on two Continents. In the winter
of 1876, during the sittings of the Conference at
Constantinople, the heading " Turkey and the
Powers" was peculiarly prominent. It came
out again twelve months afterwards, when in
the war between Turkey and Russia, the sur-
render of Plevna told of the collapse of the
Ottoman cause, and the other Powers stepped
in to revise the Treaty of San Stefano. It was
displayed also in July, 1878, during the sittings
of the Plenipotentiaries of the various European
States at Berlin, when considerable pressure
was placed upon the Porte to induce it to endorse
the provisions of that fateous instretnent. It
turns up once more in connection with the
transfer of Dulcigno from Albania to Monte-
negro.
Now, very few had ever heard of Dulcigno,
and whether it belonged to the Albanians or to
the Montenegrins must to most people have been
a matter of the highest indifference. The one
point which interests the world at large in con-
nection with Dulcigno is, how far its cession
removes the danger of an European war.
Assuming that...the cession is carried out pronlptly
and effectively, there can no longer be any
immediate risk of an op .in coullic between
Turkey and the rest of Europe. Not for the
time have the Turks shown them-elves to be
masters in the art of diplomecy. The refusal of
the Porte to cede Dulcigno was carried on until
the time when the Allied Powers were brought
face to face with the necessity for armed inter-
vention. Then, at the very moment when they
had realized the difficulties of united action,
and were hesitating between their unwillingness
to recede and their reluctance to advance.
Turkey suddenly gave up the point in dispute,
and the advisers of the Sultan came to the con-
carsion that the cession of Dulcigno must be
made. The occupation of Smyrna by the
European Powers had been suggested as a
material guarantee for the execution of the
Treaty of Berlin, had the Porte refused to cede
Dulcigno. It is understood that Russia and
Italy had signified their readiness to co-operate
with England in taking this bold step ; but
Germany and Austria w( re not disposed to com-
mit themselves definitively to the adoption of the
proposal, while France positively eeclined to
accede to the suggestion.
It is the attitude of France which has at-
tracted so much attention all over the Continent
There is no doubt that the most powerful man
in France is just now M. Gambetta. His posi-
tion as President of the Chamber of Deputies
would at first sight appear to be somewhat an-
alogous to that of the speaker of the British
House of Commons, but in reality there is no
resemblance between the two. Our speaker has
merely to keep order in the assembly over which
hep resides, and no one ever hears his name in
connection with the fall of a Ministry or the con-
struction of a new Cabinet. In France, on the
contrary, it is suppos;d by many that M. Gain-
betta can make or mar an administration at his
will and pleasure. But in this instance the re-
sult has proved that the force of public opinion
in France was too powerful even for the Pre-
sident of the Chamber. M. Garnbetta was
anxious that his country should continue to act
with the other European Powers, and should. if
necessary, send her fleet to Smyrna. But pub-
lic opinion throughout France was found to be
so directly opposed to any action which might
probably, or even possibly, involve the nation in
wer, that M. Garnbetta's sunperters in the Cabi-
net had to yield, and finally instructions were
sent to M. Challemel-Lacour to advise the
British Government that if the allied squadron
sailed for Stnyrna it would not be accompanied
by the French vessels. France, which went to
war on the Eastern Question a quarter of a cen
tnry ago, has no intention of doing so again.
There is only one war in which she would care to
embark, and that is against Germany for the re-
covery of her lost provinces.
It would be well if , with the handing over of
Duicigno from Albania to Montenegro, the
Eastern Question could be looked upon as once
more laid at rest for a time. But Greece will
scarcely allow this without any satisfaction being
given to their demands. By the Treaty of
Berlin the Hellenic kin dom was entitled, or de-
clared to be entitled to a very large accession of
territory at the cost of Turkey. The Greeks
have been advised :to :wait, and it has been
pointed out to them how unreasonable it would
be to disturb the peace of Europe for the sake
of Thessaly and Epirus. But the success of the
Montenegrins in securing Dulcigno is likely
enough to encourage the Greeks to demand that
the provisions of a solemn instrument arrived at
by the united judgment of Europe shall be
carried out in their case as well as in that of the
Montenegrins, arid, if such a demand should be
made, it is not easy to see how future complica-
tions in relation to the E %stern Question are to
be avoided.