The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-08-21

Turkey and Greece.
Article ifty-six of the Treaty of Berlin is
in these words: -'In case the agreement
relative to rectifcation of frontier pro-
vided by protocol thirteen between the Sub
lime Porte and the Kingdom of Greece
should not be realized the. Powers declare
themselves ready to offer their good services
to the two Powers" Not word in that
treaty requires Turkey to concede foot of
territory to Greece, and it is the text Of the
treaty that is the law of Europe, not the
protocols of the various conversations or
deliberations OF the treaty makers. Conse-
quently Lord Beaconsfield, who, in refer
ence to this subject, has always assumed
that Greece has no right under the treaty,
is absolutely accurate; while Mr.. Wadding-
ton, who has spoken as if the fulflment of
the treaty required concession of terri
tory, is at fault
Greeces claims were left out of the treaty,
not because they were denied, but because
those depended upon to care for them were
Indifferent to their success if not even desir-
GUS to burke them. England was in honor
charged with their defence and responsible
for their success, and France and Italy,
which sympathized, were prepared to fol-
low the lead of England on this subject on
the presumption that the lead would be
favorable to Greece. They did not take an
important initiative because of the under
stood relation of England to the subject.
Neither Russia, Turkey nor Austria had any
favorable interest in the case of Greece.
Austria was interested in ''grab"
of her own, and was concerned only
with complications that might assist
her in that respect. She was ready to sup
port any scheme of England, to subordi-
nate her voice entirely to that of England,
on the one condition that she might have
Bosnia and Herzegovina. Three Powers,
therefore, ranged behind England on this
point were prepared only to support her
lead, and she never led that way. She had
exacted from Greece pledge not to make
war at the time Turkey was in her death
struggle with Russia, and had pledged in
return that Greece should get by peace what
she hoped to get by war; The moment to
fulfil that pledge was at the making of the
treaty, and then the British represen tatives
remembered that to give Greece territory
would be to assist in the disintegration Of
gone to Berlin to defeat projects for that
disintegration. So they simply threw the
Greeks over. Fpr
But though the treaty gave the Greeks no
territory it pledged the governments to use
their good offices between the two Powers
in order to reconcile and satisfy their re-
spective claims, and so end difference that
must otherwise eventually lead to war.
On the faith of their declaration of readi-
ness to take up the case in that way the
Powers have been repeatedly appealed to
since, out only France has loyalty and fairly
come forward with will to properly re-
deem the pledge. Italy, it is officially de-
clared, will support France in this move
ment, and France will insist upon proper
treatment OF the recommendations of the
protocol. England has proved persistontly
obstructive and encouraged for a time the
refusal of the Porte. At last, however, the
Sultan has appointed three commissioner
Saivet Pacha, Sawas Pacha and Ali Saib
Pacha-and they, it is said, will "meet
shortly"
England's policy in regard to this case
seems to be singularly short-sighted. Her
desire to sustain the Porte has always been
very ineligible point in her conduct in
the East, for the Ottomans filled the place
that would otherwise be filled by the Rus
SLAMS, and England's interests were better
satisfied by the Moslems than by their
northern neighbors. Therefore while it
was possible to sustain the Porte that was
the natural policy of q commercial Power;
but if there il a fact clear as to the politics
of that part Of the world it is that the day is
rapidly approaching when the Turks cam
not stay in Europe, not even with the as
sistance Of England, and far-sghted
statesman in England should be now max
ing up his mind who he will have in the
place of the Ottomans. He can have Slavs
or Greeks. lie must have one or the other;
and the Slavs, even if they should be AUS
trian in name, will be Russian in spirit as
against England, while the Greeks may be
friends. Yet England is in this case the
declared opponent of the Greeks.
Test Questions ON Loyalty.
Evidently the government does not pro-
pose to have any weakening of the army in
the event of the dsaffection of any State or