The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-29
i v.

The Ave short essays that make u D the paper
on the Eastern question were published by
Won Moltke between the years lS4l and 1874.
Late In the autumn OF 1889 Won Moltke had
returned from Turkey. where during his four
years residence. he had acquired a thorough
knowledge OF the country and OF the people.
and had collected various and valuable stores
Of information. He could thus be we'll egarded
as ono OF the most authoritative critics OF the
East. Even at the epoch when he wrote. the
author OF these papers declared that the con-
tinuance OF the Ottoman empire was only con-
ceivable on the condition OF its being con-
tracted within its natural boundaries. He
thought that in Europe. these would only in
clude Constantnople ana tho Thracian 18TH
mus with Adrianople: hut In Asia they would
comprise the large and rich district which
Is washed by two seas and bounded on
the south by line which would retain
Erzerum. Mush. Malatia. Kaisariah. and
Konieh for the Turkish empire. Won
Moltke believed that all the rest. how.
ever legitimate might be the Sutan's
claim to it. could not be permanently held.
even Bagdad. Darbekar. and ORA being mere
islands in an Arabic Kurdish sea. Won Moltke
foresaw. moreover. although. at the time when
he was writing. one heard only OF the infiu-
ence OF Russia. France and England ut Con-
stantinople and never OF that OF Austria. that
nevertheless Austria'R sword would one day be
thrown into the scale to decide the fate Of the
Ottoman empire. All the fleets In the world
can neither execute nor prevent the division
OF Turkey: Austria's armies may do the one
and can certainly do the other. Such was Won
Moltke's prediction. and we have seen it con-
frmed for 1t was not the threatened interven-
tion OF British ironclads. but the threatened
interDosition OF an Austrian army. that stopped
the Russians at San Stefano.
1t WAS Won Moltke's opinion that the only
natural and possible solution OF the Eastern
problem was tho formation OF a Christian
empire at Constantinople. the reGsta bllsh-
ment OF which had been already begun In
Greece by the will Of Europe. Whether the
Greeks or the Russians should be the masters
OF this empire the author OF this paper re-
Trained from saying. Apparently. he believed
in division which should give the Greeks
not only Thessaly. but Macedonia and the
islands OF the Archipelago. He could see. he
said. no reason why the Slavonc population
of Bulgaria should not prefer to join Russo
Greek rather than u byzantine Greek Church:
should not. in other words. obey the Car
rather than the Sultan. Apparently. he re-
served share also OF the Ottoman Inheritance
for Austria. for he says: Whenever the re-
construction OF eastern Europe takes place,
tho ruins OF the old edihce will suffice to COM
pensate both those who have armed for the
fight and those who have not engaged In 1t /:
il D eu pour tOus. but to make the partition
does not enter into our present purpose"
Thus much. however. Won Motke believed
himself entitled to assert. namely, that, when
the Sword Of Eyoub has been carried over the
Hellespont back to the land whence 1t came
when the dome OF St Sophia Is once more
surmounted by the cross for which it was
built when the shores Of tho two straits are