The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-07
SIGNS OF DECAY In TURKEY.
Dnmistakable Indications Pointing to
the Speedy Fall Of the Turk.
Recent Events and Incidents that Give Prom
inence to His Weakness, Financial, Moral,
and Commercial-Th Difficulty.

&wo Bulgarias took every one In Constantinopie
by surprise. The Porte was bewildered by the
news. II turns out that information had been
given to the authorities of what was passing in
Eastern Roumelia. but they were incapable OF
believing it. There is a ready explanation OF
such increduiity. The army OF spies, which is
the one active department of the state is so
continually discovering incpient rebellions and
,eonspiracies, that when something really serious
is found out the newsi is disregarded. When the
ed the frst thought was naturally Of restoring the
former state of things by force. The Sultan is
admitted on all hands to have been the one who
kept his head cool, and calculated what could DO
done and what the consequences of hasty action
might be. His indignation is understood to
have been very great when he found out what
Che actual condition of the army and navy was
che army hugely diminished, reserves which have
never been called out since the war with Russia,
the soldiers in rags and in arrears of pay a navy
not q ship of which has had steam up for years.
a few days soon dispeiled all the nonsense about
the military and naval strength of Turkey,
(which the English officials in the Turkish service
either thought it their duty to belive or actually
Believed HIS Majesty asked in plain language
q
more or less correct statement Of the facts, dis
missed the Ministry which had deceived him
and adopted the sratesmaElike course he has up
20 the present time maintained.
The recent events have shown strikingly that
since the Russian war the decline of Turkey has
been very rapid. Some months ago called at
tention in the Daily News to the fact that Tur-
key was falling to pieces, and l mentioned
many circumstances which justified me in
arriving at such conclusion. The events of
the last month have shown that have rather
under than overestlmated the progress Of her
Aecadence. Turkey has no longer even such
Statesmen as she possessed in 1876 Able men
like Hareddin Pasha and Achmet Vevyk will
not take Office Manv others have been ban
dshed. and are fretting their lives away in re-
mote corners of the empire. The conditions
under which Ministers have been compelled to
hold Office nave distinctly lowered the standard
of the public service at the Porte. No depart
ment of the government is so efficient as it
Gen years ago. The signs of decay are every
where. The machine of government can hardly
be made to 60 even at snails pace. The law
courts are worse than ever Corruption is more
general than ever. Ten years ago the Turkish
feet could be mentioned in comparison with
those OF Western nations. The ships made two
voyages year-one from the Golden Horn to
the Bosphorus, distance of say two miles, and
another back again after the summer season
spent opposite the imperial palaces. Occasion
ally Turkish man-ofwar went on a cruise.
This amount of activity was not much, except in
comparison with what has been shown of late
years. The biennial voyage has ceased; the
vessels remain in the Golden Horn and never
move. So, too. with the other departments of
state.
The most suicidal policy has been shown in
reference to public works. His Majesty has ex
pressed to members Of Parliament who have been
permitted to see him the highest appreciation of
The necessity of railways, of roads, and of other
reproductive works. Virtually nothing what
ever has been done. Concessions are not given
m,..1~ halt
would enrich themselves at the expense of the
courtry. and they have not been given to natives
because the latter have not the capital necessary
70 carry the concessions into execution. With
money in western Europe so cheap as
2t has been during the last three years,
many attempts have been made by En-
glishmen, Frenchmen and Germans to find
outlets for their capital in the Turkishyempire,
and If an enlightened government had existed in
Oonstantinople there might have been public
works executed and new markets opened which
would have already added largely to the wealth
of the country. I could give scores Of illustra-
Gions of the loss which is caused to the inhabi-
tants by the absence Of means of commuIica-
tion alone. Here are two Wheat brought from
Angora to the port Of Isrndt cost last year two
piastres per kio more in transit than its market
price in the latter port American corn has al
ready been sent at profit to Saonca that is
the seaport of Macedonia, the great granary of
the empire. The department of the police is
probably worse than it has ever been. The gen.
darmerie scheme vanished completely. The Pera
scandal where the chief of the police and sew
seral of his subordinate9 were charged with con-
spring with thieves to levy black-mail, was de-
ecribed to your readers Brieandage was never
so rife as it is at present How could it be 9TH
Arwise when the local police are everywhere un
Paidf The finances of the empire are in con-
,dition which none but an interested person could
regard hopefully A recent English writer on
fhe subject has claimed that great credit was
due to the Porte because it had reduced the float
ing debt He ought to have explained how the
reduction has been made. II debtor defers
accept compositions under the belief that If
they do not take what Is offered they will get
nothing at all, it is not difficult to re-
duce his Indebtedness. Yet this is the way in
which the floating debt of Turkey has been re-
duced Subject, perhaps. to a few exceptions,
though know Of none except the cases of GER
tain European officials who were fortunate
enough to have their salaries placed upon the
list of the Ottoman Bank. there is not Turkish
official in the country whose salary is not many
months in arrear. Merchants, lawyers and other
business men complain that they can get moth
zng done in any of the Turkish offices without
packsheesh, because the officials state that as
they are not paid they are not going to work
An English statesman. who knew Tur-
key well ten years ago, recently
remarked to me that, without having
himself seen what the Differentiation of the
country is he could not have believed it possible
that Turkey should have lost SO much ground
within so short time There is, indeed, one form
of activity which is in marked contrast with the
general inertness that has characterized the
action of the Porte. Under the influence of the
Jste Grand vizier series of efforts have been
made to deprive foreigners of the privileges they
possess under the capitulations. The efforts
would in every instance have been mschievous
20 the Porte il they had succeeded, but in every
instance they have failed.
The stagnation which reigns in business is of
the most terrible kind. Branches of trade which
we're almost monopolies of Turkey have been
lost: The transit trade to Persia has gone. The
trade with Bulgaria might have been kept if the
have been port of transshipment. AS they in
sisted upon merchandise intended for that prov
ince paying Turkish customs duties in which
case the goods would have to pay twice over,
Bulgaria, to the ruin of those merchants who