St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-22
CROSS AND CRESCENT.
The Situation i'm the Easf---Mr.
HOWnrd,s EsIinaIe of liz.

he SITUATION III the EaSt-s-
HOVVard;s Estimate of 1t.
Mr.. William Lee Howard, former tray
eler and correspondent for some of the
great English dailies. lectured last evening
before large and interested audience in
the Y. NJ. c. A. rooms, taking for his SUBJ
ject the present political conditions of East
ern Europe and the late RnssO-Turkish war;
In opening the short talk Mr.. Howard said:
There are three factors which enter into the
problem of the Eastern questionable relig-
iouS. the ethnO-sentimental and the purely
political. each having several subdivisions"
After giving his audience clear idea of
RuSsia's present position among the powers
and showing how her paramount desire 10
reach the Mediterranean has caused her TO
be feared by all Europe since the death of
Peter the Great. Mr.. Howard said:
The basis OF the Russian empire is the
Sclavonic nationality. Now the Scavonic
races have always shown themselves TO be
bindly credulous. careless Of the future and
weak i'm opposing despotism. The historical
facts that no Sclavonic state has ever been
formed unless under foreign influence and
that no such state has ever possessed the in
stitution of citizenship, illustrate the Sclav-
onic character sufficiently for you to Judge of
their fitness TO become a ruling power in Eu-
rope. However, they are better than the
her allies as their hereditary enemy. for, as
defender of the Danube. as competitor for
power on the Balkan peninsular. and as the
preponderating power in the East, il must
cross their path at every step. This is why
Russia is always stirring up the Sclsvonic
element in Servia, Bulgaria and Austria 10
rebellion.
The war, If so 1t can be called, which for
the last few months has been going on, is the
third war Servia has been engaged in during
the last nine years. The trouble which
brought about the present petty war is
wrapped up in the bewildering mazes of dip
lomatic incongruities. In a few words | can
show you the present situation in words more
forcibe than elegant, perhaps. Servia de-
mands territorial compensation for
injuries sustained by Prince Al
eXander's advancement to the post of
ruler of Eastern Roumelia, as well as Bull
garia. Recent events have shown that Ser
via is Indifferent rs to whether the compen-
sation she seeks comes from Bulgaria or
Turkey. from Christian or MOhammedan, pro-
vided she can get slice of territory. Such
petty principalities rs Servia and Bulgaria do
not go to war to-day without the backing,
moral at least, OF some of the greater powers.
Austria is ceaselessly melting the Scavs TO
rebellion. Russia, on the other hand, is urg-
ing on Bulgaria to war. Or, as the boys say
the Russians cry, ''Sic him, Alex Austria
replies, ''Shake him, Milan" So that If
Russia cannot herself break through the
various JreaIleS winch Dlnd ner, she can at
least let her dog fight.
In speaking of Turkey of to-day, the lee
turer said:
Look at the Ottoman empire of to-day, even
after reform has gone on for several years
Even the corruption, frauds, hostility and
cruelty of some OF the monarchies of the
early era pale into insignifcance by the side
of Turkey to-day. The narrow-mindedness
of the early Nineteenth century, the Geor-
gian era and the golden age of the eyangeli-
cal middle classes would put to shame tie
incidence, carelessness and fanatical cruel
| ties of this nation of Turks, living in the
midst of Europe to-day. Turkey to-day pre-
SCENTS woeful sight. The upper classes have
enriched themselves by sucking the life-blood
and ambition of the lower. The country
Is IN state OF perpetual bank
ruptcy. owing TO the fraudulent
administration of its government the Off
cials, high and low, buy their positions and
promotions from the background peasants
even eXtorting by cruelty money to retain
their position. Trade is at a standstill. and
fears of heavy eXtortion bY government Off
eials for their own private perquisites keeps
the native from embarking in any CONNER
cial enterprise. The power placed I'm the
hands of nll government officials Is so unre-
strained and so arbitrarily welded thar the