The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-31
TALKS OF THE TURKS
An Interview With Our Late
Minister Straus.
THE ARMENIAN ATROCITIES.
Pen Picture OF the Sultan and Peep
Behind the Scenes OF Russian
Diplomacy.


sultan Is being denounced for not putting
Z stop to the so-called massacres OF Christ
ians. The whole blame Is laid at the feet
of the Sublime Porte, and the true inward
ness Of the outrages are unknown to the
public. The truth is that they are melted
and fomented by Russia, and the probable
fly Is that they are the advance guards OF
q series Of provocations, which will ul-
timately result in . war between Russia
and Turkey, and for which Russia Is now
seeking pretext.
No American diplomat has ever held .
more confidential relation to his colleagues
and TO the power to which he was sent than
our late minister to Turkey, Mr.. Oscar L.
Straus. Mr.. Stratus was one of the closest
friends of the sultan during his four years
in Constantiuople He entertained magnifi-
Gently at his house in Pera, and he became
at the same time very popular with his
brother diplomats. Wealthy and cultured,
he was offered and took the opportunities OF
his position to get thorough knowledge OF
the great Eastern questions, and there is no
man in America who better knows the in
side movements of the European powers in
regard to Turkey than he.
met Mr.. Straus here today and had
long talk with him upon the Turkish situa-
ton.
1.-THE country of the Armenians." said
he lilies in the northeastern corner OF the
Turkish empire in Asia. They have one
of the oldest lands in the world. Mount
Ararat is supposed to be in it, and they
claim, whether truly or not can't say, to
have the original site of the Garden OF
Eden. They are much in the same condi-
ton as Poland, and have been partitioned
about under the warning nations. Russia
has taken a slice of her territory and wants
more. Turkey has q slice, and another
part belongs to Persia"
What is the population Of the land 2"
said I. "That / can't say off hand" re-
piled Minister Straus, "but there are be-
tween two and three millions of Armenians
in the Turkish empire, and between four
and five millions of them in the world.
They are very shrewd. quick-witted race,
and in many respects they may be COM
pared to the Jews. They are people held
together by religion, by traditions and by
race prejudices, and they are to large ex-
tent people without Q country. Most of
the Turkish emigrants to America are
Armenians. They are the money changers
and bankers OF the far East, and they do
business all through the Levant. They are
pushing and progressive, and they are
within their limitations one of the
brightest business people Of the world to-
day.
THE SULTAN AND THE ARMENIANs.
1.-THE sultan recognizes the ability of the
Armenians," Ex-Minister Stratus went on.
"He employs them largely in his public
offices. Most all of the under secretaries of
various government departments are Ar
menians, and until recently the minister of
finance, Agop, was an Armenian. and the
under secretary of state. Moustachaa, was
of the same race. These Armenians are all
Christians, but they are ali of different sects.
They have their own patriarchs and their
own ceremonies of worship. As to their re-
iigion the government of Turkey has always
treated them well. In Turkey freedom OF
worship has always been recognized and
conceded to all such sects. This has been
SO since the fall of Constantinople. in 1452.
and this freedom is in striking contrast with
the intolerance of Russia, who even at the
present day does not concede that to the
dissenting sects within her empire The
fact is that the Armenians of Turkey, not
withstanding considerable misrule, are to-
day enjoying more liberty than the Arme-
RUSSIANS uSDERHANDED METHODS.
But how about the foreign kilograms.
These tell much different story?"
"Yes," said Mr.. Straus, but these re-
ports are undoubtedly exaggerated, and
much of the Russo Turkish news that
reaches the outside world is doctored to
suit the political purposes of chiefly Russia
or of the malcontents of other nations where
ever it may be. Both the Crimean war and
the Russo-Turkish war of 1877 and 1878
were begun by Russia under the pretence of
protecting the Christian subjects of the
sultan. This is the high and holy shib.
boleth, of which Russia avails herself to
cloak her greed for territory in the Orient.
She began the war of 1878 by sending her
agents into Turkey to stir up the Christian
population. She is doing the same thing
In Turkish Armenia today, and a careful
Investigation of these outrages, which are
reported in the papers. will show that
Russia's hand is pulling the wires which
are at the real root of the trouble don't
mean to deny that there is considerable
misrue in the outlying provinces of the
Turkish empire. and that this misrule is
accumulated in such provinces as Turkish
Armenia, chiefly known as the Villay of
Van. This, however, is not TO be attribu-
ted to any intention on the part of the
sultan or the Sublime Porte TO Cypress the
Armenians, but it is a result of lack of
systematic and well regulated government,
which increases with the distance that q
province is from the central government
The sultan does everything in his power
to correct such misrule, but his efforts are
not always seconded by the officials that
surround him. That his intentions are the
best, and that his purpose is to put
such intentions into execution, can
be gathered from the fact that
within the past few days he has APP
pointed commission of the most prom
inent Armenian officials of the empire, in
Guiding the late minister of finance and
the under secretary of state, TO devise
means for the better government of that
portion of Turkey inhabited by Armenians.
know from my own knowledge and from
the various conversations have had with
the sultan that he is q man of peace, and
the purpose nearest his heart is 20 rule in
such a way as to satisfy the various ele-
ments of the empire. This Is not only in
the line of his policy, but it accords with
the estimate and make of his character and
disposition"
HAS the sultan ever shown any desire
to quiet these disturbances and to protect
these elemenis2"
He has repeatedly" replied Mr.. Stratus.
she has charged the governors general
again and again when it has appeared that
such governors were not properly noticing
his Christian subjects. This has been done
In the line of his policy TO maintain peace
a. h,s