New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-02
DTpLOUAcY or THE TURK.


The equiyocal attitude of the Turkish Gov
eminent in the Egyptian complication is eX-
planned in an admirable letter from our regular
correspondent at Constantinople. The tribute
from this privileged province goes to the Bank
of England and not to the Ottoman Treasury,
and the indirect revenues which were formerly
derived in various questionable ways have been
cut of by European officials. Here is rich
province, which WAS once plundered at will by
the Pachas, accorded large measure OF indie
pendence without the Sutan's receiving any
pecuniary compensation. Autonomy on any
terms il distasteful to the Turk, but autonomy
without cent of tribute exctes his derlslon.
What the Ministers hope to do is to break up
the system of financial supervision and to bring
Egypt under their direct control, and the means
they have employed comprise Discrimination
and delay. They have dupcd the khedlve, IN
trgued with Arab, baflied England and France,
and counted on the inability of the European
Governments to unite i'll cOercng Egypt.
They expect to send their troops to the Nile
with the understanding that they shall with
draw them as soon as order Is restored. Inc
promise will he made only to. be broken. Ihey
also profess in secret their Willingness to CO.
operate with the National party in its political
as well rs financial policy. That also Is false
profession.
The policy of the Porte undergOes no change
as the years advance. II is to-day what 1T was
in 1927, when the possibility of European inter-
vention in behalf of Greece was secuted at
Constantinope. The Powers had submitted
proposals for the independence of the rebel
lint
embarrassed and united action seemed impos-
sibe. Even Canning, who took the lead III the
negotiations, had an army i'll Portugal. The
Sultan's advisers confidently relied upon the
efficacy of their habits of procrastination and
duplicity and upon the disunlon OF the Powers
which were attempting concerted 9ctlon Alter
the negotiations had been conducted month
after month, and notes identical, collective and
individual had been sent TO Constantlnople
mediation was rejected as an insult and when
the menace of military Intervention was re-
peatedy offered the policy OF silence was SUD-
stituted for that of deceit and delay. The Turk
could not be made to believe that any two
Powers would unite in an aggressive campaign
ON land or sea in behalf of the Greeks, or that
Europe would allow any single Government TO
engage in military intervention. Alter their
feet had been destroyed at Navarino they had
the assurance to ask whether war with the
Porte was actually intended and they were
not convinced that coercion was practicable
until their troops had been driven FROM Morea.
Their descendants have found ii equally hard
to believe that anything coud come from
European concert, or that either England or
France would be tempted to restore order IN
Egypt. Their diplomatists have abscHted
themselves from an international council which
they despised, and waited impatiently for per-
mission to send army to the Nile and to act
at their own discretion. If coercion be event
ualy applied without danger to Europe, the
Turk will find his diplomacy at fault as he has
so many times before.