New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-22
CRETE AND ARMENIA.
TWO QUESTIONS THAT ARE NOW HAR.iSS.
ING THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT.

Constantinople, September 2.
To judge from the newspapers of this city. the
only subject which interests the public in Turkey
to-day is the anniversary of the accession OF
Sultan Abdul Hamd, which celebrated on
Saturday by columns Of laudation, dozens of
eulogstic poems in all of the papers, hundreds
of congratuatory kilograms and twenty miles Of
transparencies and other Examinations on the
Bosphorus. Nevertheless, interest in these brill
liant exercises is seriously disturbed by the Crctan
question and the Armenian question. The an.
pcarancc of questions is known by everybody
to presagc greater disturbances. and so the
studied indifference of the daily press on these
subjects merely whets the appetite for the whis-
pered condolences of the coree-shops and the sur.
rptitious gIeanings of the public offices.
Either OF these two Questions may be put
into the category of the legitimate aspirations
of Christians who will not be content under the
rule of the Turk, and as such, may be hailed as
fresh occasion for declaring that the Turk must
60 The scamy side Of the Turkish administration
always comes to light in such case, and the
more the light shines upon it the more one is
unable to see anything else. But there is an
other way of regarding these questions. or they
would not cause so great divergence of opinion in
Europe as to the remedy which they demand
From the radical point of view the application
Of the axe TO the root of the tree is all that the
case requires But there is conservative point
Of view, which reveals the fact that If the axe
is applied the tree will fall, and which anXously
forecasts on whom it will fall and what 1t will
crush.
The Cretan question has particular reason
for existing to-day, any more than last year this
time The island has population of whom but
very small minority are Turks Since the Treaty OF
Berlin in S1S it has had a Christian for a Gov
ernor. and sort of local parliament to watch
over local affairs. 1t has not been subject to the
grievances usually deemed nSeparable from the
direct contact of Moslcm rulers with Christian
subjects The grievances Of the Cretans are real
but not of the terrible character Of those which
commonly force men to rise in defence of life.
property and honor There has been delay in
giving effect to the recommendations of the local
deputies as TO changes in the methods of admins
tration, and especially in the tightening of tax
alton. The Mahometan deputies are as patrl
otto on their side as the Christian deputies on
theirs, and have consistently opposed the adoption
of every measure TO which the Turkish Govern
mcnt might object. Hence the central Govern
mcnt has been furnished with good excuse for
delberation in considering the votes Of the depu
ties, and has very often pushed this deliberation
TO the point of killing measure by taking no de-
csion upon it, But 50 Westerners sometimes seq
choice bill "pockcted' into oblivion. We do
not however, get up rebelons on that account
Nor would the Cretans do had it not been
that they believe that the approaching marriage
of the heiG apparent to the throne of Greece with
German. Princess is of the nature of plcnary
indulgence, signed by Bismarck. Under this ar
rangemcnt they believe that the little kingdom
50 long snubbed by Europe will not hereafter be
held to account for territorial buccaneerng enter
priscs. Greece signs for Crete and Cretans sigh
for Greek rule to supplant Turkish rule. There
fore the German marriage is a proper occasion
for the revolt that shall bring about the more
important union.
This is all very fine in theory and in sentiment.
but until Turkey consents, or the great Powers
of Europe agree TO coerce Turkey, the attempt to
carry out this most uneXceptionabe scheme for
delivering anither land from Moslem domination
threatens to precipitate the impending war in
Europe. The first steps toward the precipitation
of war have already been taken in the measures
used for paciication the Decentralization OF masses
of Turkish troops on the island, the arrest Of
numbers of the disaffected. and the substitution
of Turkish military pacha for the Christian
governor of the island. The natural sequence
must be the REMOVAL OF the armed insurrec-
tionary bands in the usual Turkish way. We
already hear of burned villages and reprsas by
the Moslem population. Stories of violence and
ferOcity toward the insurgents will more and
more stir the European public, and then some
Power will see the need Of interference when
others need of it. and the whole European
quarrel will begin. That is to say, IL will begin
unless the dread Of the general confagration
shall lead Europe to agree beforehand that the
Cretans must bottle up their eilervcscng spirits
If Europe agrees to this, the Cretans win calm
down. The Cretan question is thus merely one
of cXpediency. The Cretans think the pres
emit propitious time for fulfilling their "man
fest destiny But the rest of the world may
Judge that the freedom of the Cretans TO unite
with Greece will cost Europe too heavily this
year, and if so, the sympathics of Europe with
the Christians Of Crete must be corled up along
with Crctan aspirations. to await more convent
ent season.
The Armenian question does not so directly
threaten the peace of Europe. 1t only amounts
to a which by dint Of careful application of
caustic lotions by foreign schemerS, and by reason
Of the wilful blindness of the home Government
to the needs of the cdse, may he kept open for
political uses in the near future The Treaty of
Berlin provided that special reforms in local
government should be applied TO Armenia. The
three Turkish provinces, which include the region
supposed to be called Armenia, need such reforms
badly enough. Far from the observation of
Europeans, tie provinces of Erzroum, Van and
BitliS have been left to look out for themselves.
Eraroum has commonly had a Governor of some
ability, but Van and Biths have been left in the
hands of men who could not be used anywhere
else They have been the receptacle of the refuse
of the Civil Service lists The lfteth part of the
liberty and security which the CretanS have
joyed for the Last ten years would be bliss to-day
to the Armenans of those provinces. Within the
last five years the Russian officials in those regions
and in this city have lost no opportunity to i'm
press upon the minds of the Turks the belief that
the Armenians are plotting for an instruction.