The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-10-30
THE EASTERN QUESTION:
British Analysis Of rhe Interests Involved
Turkey, Egypt and Greece-Englan d's Duty
In fkus,( trisss-
From the London Times semi. edltorial).l

British Analysis Of the Interests Involved
Turkey, Egypt and Greece-EngIand's Duty
in the Crisis.
From the London Times (semi-edltoriall
The power OF The people III the East and the
weight they are prepared to throw into the balance
or power has been hitherto generally neglected IN
anal yzing the forces that must solve The Eastern
question. The times serves as IAN echo OF the
voice OF nations, which they who long neglect not
long VIII govern The sound that comes from the
East at present is, 1t must be confessed, neither
loud nor distinct. AS 10 the Eastern ques-
ton itself, u IS usually asked IN a form tnat
answer And II candid inquirer ask, as pre-
iiminary step to knowledge, what is the precise
question 10 be answered, he Will soon discover that
II Is anything which anybody THINKS MT TO make the
sublecL OF Inquiry relating TO the AFFAIRS OF the otto
man empire-Egypt Greece, Roumanla and Servia.
Without attempting to answer anything, this letter
VIII endeayor 10 supply your readers with infcrmu-
ton concerning the position OF the people-that ia,
the taApayers-who furnish the materials from
which the book OF political problems has been COM
piled, called the Eastern question.
The Eastern question: to which each western
nation seeks Tor an answer ls-what policy Its lnte-
rests ana IFS duties command IT TO adopt. The
varied political, commercial and financial relations
OF France, Russia and England with Turkey, Egypt
and Greece make the same query assume a very
different aspect and insure a very different answer
al Paris, st. Petersburg ana London At London
there are two great powers which examine every
political questionable British government and pub
lie opinion. This last Will In future exert far
more than its former influence whenever some
unexpected event happens 10 give prominence TO
any one multIfarlous difficulties that radlate
IRON the ottoman empire. But public opinion can
not pronounce an authoritative decision without an
accurate knowledge OF the condition and interests
OF the people IN the East. Valuable contributions
to that knowledge are made every day which prove
that the great mass OF the agricultural population,
both Mussulman and Christian, steadily acquiring
more ana more political ana financial importance
In the Ottoman empire In Egypt and Greece; while
is equally certain that the central governments OF
these countries Notwithstanding the strength they
derive from protection and loans, are constantly be-
coming weaker.
| We Know enough about the Court the Ministers,
the wasteful expenditure ana the to0-ceverby half
diplomacy OF the King OF the iellenes, the Khedlve
| and the sultan, and OF their debts and loans we
| hear great deal too much; but OF the bulk
| OF the population OF their dominions-amount
| Sultan 100000 to the Khedive OF Egypt
and 1000. 600 TO the King OF Greece-we know very
| little. The interests OF 24,0OO000 OF men, who by
their productive labor create whatever power these
j soverelgns possess and who pay for the fetes the
dinners and the pomp with which travelling princes
are amused, are never taken into consideration
/ when Eastern questions engage the attention OF
| cabinets, dIpl0malsts and loan contractors. This
ought no longer to be the case and the future policy
i OF the British government under the control of
public opinion, must attend to the Interests and the
growing power OF the people as well as TO the polti
cal combinations and declining strength OF the gov
ernments. Inc Eastern question has hitherto
revoived round the persons Of sovereigns who have
acted If Their inter ess were totally different from
! the interests Of their people.
The Sultan, the Egyptian Khedve and the King OF
the Greeks I'LL their palaces with everything that
gorgeous London and Paris and too often insult
| able and tase!ess AT Constantnople, Cairo and
Athens. Tney cover their tables with every luxury
scrape the soil within sight OF their palaces
Classic aud Darbarous plough, and feed meal
cakes baked IN ashes, and live IN huts bare OF
every comfort as the dwellings, or Their ancestors in
the days OF priam Pharoah and Hesiod. Millions are
spent on foreign luXurles and martial pageantry
for no purpose but to entertain soyerclgns ana no
money Is allotted 10 make the improvements most re-
quireu for the well being OF the agricultural popula-
| ton. AS lar nlne-tenths OF the population OF
Turkey Egypt and Greece is concerned, the govern
| ments OF those countries are nothing more than
conscripiion The government OF Turkey can neither
al get 10
| mechanism Tor Lowing taxation and enforcing the
| tribunals are corrupt and the taxation Is harmed.
The government OF Egypt Expresses the agricultural
| population by exacting forced labor, exorbitant
taxes and most iniqutous CONSUMPTION The gov
eminent OF Greece cannot even suppress brigandage
ana Mr.. Soteropoulos. the Minister Of Finance vino
Tell into the hands of the brgands, tells there
then 000 criminal citations before the rl-
bunals Tor agraran crimes.
About eighteen years ago we witnessed the com.
mencement OF a road from Treblzond TO the Persian
frontier, ana for several wesks we saw hundreds OF
horses heavily laden with goods from Manchester
start daily on tollsome Journey OF ten days over
the unfinished road. The road then begun Is, we
nave recently heard not in better state IL was
nineteen years ago. But we learn from the papers
that 1900 workmen arc at present employed In max
ing a carriage drive OF many miles through unculti.
vaed lands in the vicinity OF Constantinope, that
the Empress OF the French may pay a visit OF few
hours 10 the woods celebrated by Lady Mary Wort
ley. These two facts afford good estimate OF the
attention paid by the Turkish government to the
interests Of Turkey. Were II possible TO ascertain
the amount OF money expended and the number OF
days OF unpaid labor that have been exacted under
world would know what 10 think OF the value TO
the population OF tine administrative system OF the
Ottoman Empire. One result OF Ottoman malad-
mlnlstratlon is that the Persian trade IL quitting
Turkey and seeking The better lines OF comrnunIca
ton that Russia is constructing. 1t is instructive
10 contrast the results or government by the peasants
switzerland with those by vziers and ambassa-
doris IN Turkey. During the time the Sultan had
been making abortve attempts 10 complete a single
commercial road from Trebizond to Bayezid the
swiss have finished more miles OF excellent roads
through the rocks on the Alps than the Ministers OF
he mi uht m hlya MD
their imagination.
The Pasna OF Egypt expends large sum annually
TO MAINTAIN commercial steamers. but they are TOO
often employed for the convenience OF princes
pashas, newspaper correspondents and officials TO
permit their beng useful 10 trade profitable TO the
Pasha. lie gains nothing Tor his outlay unless II be
the reputation OF being civilized ruler or unless IL
dlsposes pubic opinion TO favor his loan contracting
propensitles. 1t il not my object to examine how
the loans OF Turkey, Egypt and Greece have been
expended. | only desire 10 note that on Whatever
enterprises and luxuries they have been expended
warllke, political CT social, moral or immoral a
very small proportion OF their proceeds has been
employed to improve the condition OF the taxpayers
and the cutvators OF the soil. Providence has
placed motive powers IN the valley OF the Nile that
are a. certain steam which might be as seful
10 the peasant, ana winch cost nothing. The
north wind Tor nne months In the year, impes
boats, lighters and RATS, indeed everything that
floats on which a rag can be hOlsted as a sail. up
the river against the current, from the canal OF
Alexandra TO the first cataract. And the stream of
the Nile sufces TO carry the same boat lighter raft
tub when heavily laden with the produce oil the
PEASANTS labor down TO Cairo ana Alexandria
against tue noItn Wlhu. Inc sinai expense OF trans
port canals has contributed much 10 the improve
ment OF agriculture and the accumulation OF CAPITA
on the land In England and Holland. Egypt pos.
a gigantic canal In the Nile, with the WIND
the stream to do the work OF horses steam en-
gnes. There no interest 10 pay on the consrac.
ton OF the canal. ana no expenditure required 10
feed the north wind, but the government OF the
Knedlye taxes the transport Of tue PEASANTS pro-
duce az II he mad made the Me and the current and
fed the north wind al mis- own cost. The sultan
negects TO make roads, bus tue Fsha OF Egypt con-
vers the roads made by the beneucencc OF nature
inio means vi depressing Tie agricultural popala-
uun
The people OF the Hellenic Kingdom have enjoyed
lar greater advantages Tor improving their cOndl-
ton than the population Of Turkey anu Egypt It's
needless 10 point ont why they nave failed. 10 is
only necessary TO record that they have done
more Tor facilitating communications and promoting