New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-26
rNcThND AND EUROPE.

The moral force of Europe means something
when there is Liberal Government in England.
Lord Beaconsheld was always willing to ell
force the Treaty of Berlin against Russia, but
never against the Porte. The diplomatic fool
ing between COnstantinODle and Athens was
allowed to go on; the Turks were not COM
PEELED to give up the territory coded to Monte
negro; and the reforms whereby the face of
Asiatic Turkey was to be changed from dark
ness to light were never begun. The Liberal
Government has a policy of its own. 1t looks
upon the Treaty of Berlin as the public law OF
the Continent, and calls upon the Powers to
enforce it. In a circular note addressed to the
principal courts it directs attention to three
provisions of the Treaty which have not been
fulfilled These relate to the MOntenegrin
boundary, the Greek claims and the Armenian
reforms; and practical solution of each OF
these complex questions il suggested Now
that England has taken the lead the European
Powers are close behind it. A joint note is
to be dispatched to ConstantinOple this week,
and if the reply of the Porte be unfavorable it
is reported that supplementary conference
will be held in Berlin during the Summer.
OF the three questions which the Powers
have taken up Mt the instance Of Lord Gran
vile, the Montenegrin boundary is of the most
pressing Importance. The heroic mountainecrs
we're shabbily treated at Berlin. They had
won three harbOrs, but two were taken away,
and the third was given to them under humlliat-
ing conditions The territory which Russia had
allowed them to hold under the Treaty of San
Stefalo lay mainly in the north, where the in
habtants were of the same race as themselves.
This they were not allowed to keep, and their
conquests in the south were reduced. Two
years have passed. and they have not been put
in possession of the meagre district which was
coded to them. The Albanians are in open re-
volt against Europe, and the Porte is secretly
providing them with arms and ammunition.
In this crisis Lord Granville demands that the
territory which belongs to Montenegro under
the public law of Europe shall be recOnquered
by the Turks and surrendered once for all.
The Greek question, which has been dragging
for so many months, is to DO reOpencd by the
appointment of an international Commission,
and the Porte Is to be reminded that in the
Treaty of Berlin reforms were promised III
Armenia, and the pledge has not been redeemed.
These are the three questions which may be
brought before a European conference Under
Liberal Administration, England does not
shlTk its responsibilities as a member of the
European State system. 1t promotes the united
action of the Powers. 1t insists upon the exc
cution of the Treaty which Lord BcaconsGeld
and Lord Salisbury signed but would not en-
force. There are no signs Of weakness in q
foreign policy which opens in this way. Too
much stress has been laid on the Premicrs letter
to Count Karoyi 1t was at most IN apology
justified by an important concession. "YOur
EAcellency," Mr.. Gladstone wrote, /" is now
"gOOd enough to assure me that your Govern
"ment has no desire whatever to extend or add
to the right it has acquired under the Treaty
" of Berlin, and that any such extension would
"be actually pIejudcial to Austria Hungary"
There was certainly no humiliation involved in
extracting from Gormany's closest ally on the
Continent a pledge like this however inju-
diciOus other passages of the letter may have
been. This concession from the Austrian Court,
Mr. Goschen's mission to tho East, and the
circular note to tho Powers are proofs that
England is exerting commanding influence in
Europe