New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-01
TRADE IN TURKEY.
ENDANGERED BY TURKISH DUPLlCITY AND
AMERICAN NEGLECT.

| lfRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT TRIBUNE. ]
| CoNsTANTINOPLE, March !.
AJudge OF one OF the city courts talking the
other day about the rebellion the Soudan, where
the "Mehdi" seems to be having things oil IN his
| own way He evidently hoped that the Mehdis
half-armed bordes might prove the instruments by
| which Providence is preparing to humble the pride
| OF the English. He somewhat startled, how
ever, on learning that 800 miles Of territory yet
| separated the Mehdi from the English outposts in
Egypt. His law books had conveyed to his mind
| information to the extent Of the valley Of the
Nile. and on learning that the great river came up
out Of Central Africa from lakes more than 1900
miles beyond the scene of the Mehdps labors, this
| judge remarked: "Why, it must rise very near to
| America then!" The vague idea among the mass of
the people here as to the geographical position of
the United States easily classes them with the TN
certain of the river of the dark continent
Holding such impressions as to the impracticable
situation of our country, the common people here
| are astounded to learn that the American Legation
has dared to raise its voice in protest against some
| of the acts of the Government of HIS Imperial
| Majesty. European questions seem to be hlber-
mating just now and 10 an American question has
turned up.
| Something of this amazement and disgust appears
| in circles above the level of the common people.
| The Porte keeps an Ambassador in Washington.
| He is not Moslem, and to support him there re-
qulres the expenditure of much money which many
faithful officials here really need. The only advan-
| tage of an Ambassador in Washington which would
| compensate the sef-denIal involved IN providing
his salary would be his in counteracting the
effect of the biased views Of American interests held
| by American representatives here IL is a we'll
established rule of vision that may be too near
| a scene to attain just view of it. The use of
Turkish Ambassador at Washington is to convince
the State Department that all questions should be
settled there rather than here, since Consnls and
Ministers too near the whirl and dust of action
to have any Just idea of the true interests of the
United States in Turkey If the Turkish Ambassa-
dor can but convince Mr.. Frelinghuysen of the
Justice of this position the coveted money spared
for his salary will have been well dir ,rtod from the
hands of anxious Moslems here.
Without presuming to suggest that such thought
exists in higher quarters, cannot but remark that
in certain circles here there is great satisfaction felt
III the knowledge that the State Department at
Washington is in the hands of men honest enough
to have faith in human nature. IL is very pleasing
to some Turks to know that American straight
forwardness and honesty can be relied upon never
to suspect lack of honesty in others unless the
duplicity is shown by proof such as exploded poor
Catacazy of bye-gone days There is reason to be-
exists in official circles with the results upon the
American capital Of the bland and bachelor fascina
tons personiGcd in the Turkish Ambassador. There
are even whispers that good time may come when
the American Government shall be induced to recall
some of the present staff of the Legation, and to
send out for duty here man who will serve Turkish
interests well. The conceit is pretty one! An
officer representng the United States with the
assurance that he will well for Turkish inter-
ests! However the future may turn it would seem
that the Porte has an impression that it already
manage American affairs here through the dIplo-
matte ability of its representative at Washington.
The result is expected TO rebound TO the enlarge
ment of the cash balances of the Turkish Treasury
The German experts imported TO study the finances
of Turkey have found that in the last fiscal the
revenues of Turkey were S6G,264,O0O, while its ex
peudltures were $S9, 1906 900, of which about one
half went to keep mp the army and navy. These
experts after profound study of the ugly deficit of
800 232 600 have reached the striking and original
conclusion that either reduction of expenses or in
crease of revenue must be resored to for the pro-
duction of an equilibrium in the budget. Now the
true Turk feels toward economy as the famous
Frenchman did toward morality-he abhOrs it.
Hence the increase of the is the sole course
open to the nancers of the country. Since the I'M
ports in tins country double the exports, the IN
crease of the duties imports presents itself as
oujck and sure method of increasing the revenue.
unfortunately however, the duties on imports are
fixed by treaties, and the Treasury must wait In
hungry emptiness until these treaties expire Mean
time various little expedients have TO be resored To
for the increase of revenue The field offered by tho
commercial interests of the United States for such
expedients is a tempting one, since that country IS
too far off to be easily affected by mishaps in
w ha
of the experiments here rely the ability of the
Turkish Ambassador at Washington to convince the
Secretary of State that American interests in Turkey
are always and ever SAFE
At all events before the expiration of the treaties,
the Turkish Government has taken it upon itself to
lay additional import dues upon the principal
articles of American trade with Turkey. In one
case tho new levy is direct addition to the tariff,
which the authorities here calmly say they do not
recognize as longer valid In the of petroleum
the new impost comes in an indirect way. American
petroleum lights up Turkey. 1t is carried to all
parts of the country in such quantities that the tin
boxes in which il comes figure for an important item
IN the material used by timers besides serving
families and tribes with buckets soup-kettles
and ash-pans. American petroleum furnishes the
great chandeliers of palaces and the hut OF the
nomad where it has completely dspossessed castor
oil as an Illuminating agent and where 1t IS burned
in classic lamps--an open saucer with WICK at one
side To lay q new tax on the whole amount OF
American petroleum used in this country was a
beautiful idea In order to avoid the tariff regula-
ton which fixes eight cent as the maximum
duty on this article the authorities here have given
Turk permission to erect warehouses for storing
petroleum, for safetys sake, at distance from
dwellings and to collect fees for handling and stor-
ing the boxes. The place where the gam of the
Imperial Treasury comes in Is this the Govern
ment has decreed that no petroleum shall enter this
port without going through this privileged ware
house. that the fees of the warehouse shall be much
greater than the same service would cost elsewhere
and that the owner OF the privileged warehouse shall
nov certain nronortion of his gains to the Govern