New-York tribune., 1885-02-08
ENGLAND's TURKISH POLICY
BY HOBART PACHA. ADMIRAL Or The W.
TOMAN FLEET.


q, ADDITION TO the n0n-interference" procllvitles
of her people, is to certain extent an obstacle 10
any great interest being taken IN tho so-caiie"
Eastern question:" it is patent fact that the III
fluence of America through her diplomatic missions
and the large nunb,r of her hard-working religious
missionaries is strongly felt throughout
Turkey and Asia Minor. thus l venture 10
think that tie American pubic nave
a claim 10 be from time to time put eau courant"
with what Is gong on IN this part of the world. l
Wherefore induced to write the following article
Nv first object will be to show how the public
mind is frequently mlsed by the false and IN most
ir,stances interested reports that ara constantly
eircuiated against reports that regret to see IN
spite of their mendacity, are seldom contradicted
through Oriental careleSsness and apathyl tne
sovereign and people of this still great Empire In
support Of those statomsnts and to show VINO the
snltan and ms Government ara in this respect be-
lied and ill-ussd in public opinipn, will quote
mart of letter myself lately recoived from cor
respondent in England: "Pelse inform mo IL IL
be true that tho Sultan of Turkey has an income
Of E3, 900 900, that he has palace at every cor
ner of the B,sphorus, that he has 800 wives, that
daily 700 oxen anl 800 shesp are killed for con-
sumption at his palace, and that every day His
Majesty's dinner consists OF ffty-four courses"
etc, ETC. Nor Is this solitary or exceptional in
stance of ignorance or distorted opinion for may
refer also to Lady Bras3eys book on Censtanu-
nople in which ara rocounted almost as enormous
absurdites regarding tbs Sultan, his household
and surroundings and this too after ample oppor-
tunities had been Afforded tho author for ascer-
tanning the truth through ths kindness and hosp-
tality of His Majesty during her stay here.
Writing as careful observer of events as they
pass and as one who has during long residence
here obtained pretty clear insight into facts am
willing to allow th,t progress and reform IN Iur-
kew make Roadway slo wly-more slowly perhaps
than need be-but most weighty aad specia con-
sideratlons not generally understood or sufficiently
known out of Turkey, tend to put the drag on such
matters in this country to great an extent. In
deed. that it Is at times difficult to maintain
that the Turks can ever steadily ana
surely keep pace in this respect with other civizeh
nations. This would however, belleve, be quite
possible as shall endeavOr to show in the course
of this article if fair play AMI free action were Al
lowed to this country to hold its own, IN the same
ratio aud in the form and systems which OBJ
tain In other countries. Bat the allowance must,
in all fairness first be made for the fact that IN
Turkey, under ths pressure of what is eQuivooaliy
termed international interests" the capitula-
tons etc. the normal action of internal
administration is thwarted on the one hand.
and the free development of undenIaoie
natural rej,lrcss is checked and warped, on the
other hand as an inevitable consequences. through
the contending efforts of all tho foreign Powers 10
secure their special political aims, whloh oan
only be aggressive sohsh, aud reoiprocaiiy antaso
histic in the complicated game OF oross-pnr DOSES
which has besn called the Eastern questloh.
Now in that gams played upoa the bsoK OF lur-
kew England, it cannot be denied, has vital III
teuest at staks. perhaps IN greater dogleo 'han
e,en Turkey herself in the broad of tho term
ff,a har Qn
sentimental line of policy should influence the
British Government IN dealing with political OBJ
Iect of such ltuds and im oortancs for however
certain nations may have mado boast of heAting
fo1 anidsa" we all know that the eupaemIsms OF
ooifcai language are not always to be accepted as
expressing the reality Of political facts and aims.
What plainly contend for is tho just appreciation
OF mutual advantages betwesn the two countries
and tnat England aud Turkey. by harmoniousy
acting together, should secure those advan-
taces. while in no way damaging 'no
legitimate claims Of others so far as they can III
their turn. be reaso lably admitted. l am aware
that there arc mauy anoag us who thoughtiessly
odopt the offhand cry Of Let us trouble ourselves
n, more about the Turks who will never do any
thing to help themselves and let us leave them to
die the death they deserve for their apathy" but
those who speak thus. maintain. ara either intiu-
.nced by the uutenabie opinion that England
having found fresh hunting grounds anc past
nres new has no longer any interest in, or SYM
u ,athy for Turkey; they allow that we can give
ip the policy Of screening her In GU
lwn interest from the clutches OF thOs
who wore crouohing like tigers. waiting to spring
upoa the prey so soon as 1t Is defenceiess ana
abandoned to thon, thus carcles,ly adopting the
fatal attitude of the lass allsr" school of poll
tics of the present ago. Those who reason in thi
sense would quietly stand by wnile tae straits
which divide Europe from Asia fall into the hand
of some Continental Power, never calculating that
the Power which possesses the Dardanelles con
maud, the route to India about wnich Eng
land has lately been making 30 much nois
with 40 little cearness Of purpose aud such ridicu
lous inefficacy and Inconsistency of action. Whia
she boasts of holding the barren rocks OF Malta an
Gibraltar the holders of the BOspaOrous and Oar
daneiles would possess many other magnihcen
ports, dominating the Mediterranean, in position
vhere they would be able to provide themselve
amply With coal from the Black Sea taso in thei
possession) and where they could be supplied with
utores and provisions of every description within
,asy and protected reach They forget that the
Oardanele. Is only sixty hours distant by
,ea from tho Suez Canal and that the pos
,essor Of Constantinope and the Straits would no
,nly com nand the Mediterranean, but that tn
safest route to Engand's Indian possessions woul'
also be at his mercy. What wodld, in that case, b
the use of Malta, whore the very flour for maxim
biscuits for the garrison has to be imported wher
the supply of wateris even doubtful. and from whic
isolated stron ghold an active enemy could cut Oh
or at least much disturb. communication at ever!
turnf Then again, what would be the use
Cyprus whose produce is virtually NIL wher
there are no harbors. if an enemy hell
the Dardanellosf Hence it must be ey
dent to all thoughtful minds that tn
power to hold the Straits must be lunless 1t be Emf
land) a friendly Power. or at all evonts nGn-a2
grossiye one. Turkey is unhappy for the momer