The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1895-06-13
THE SULTAN REFUSES
Will Not Agree to Demands
of the Powers.
=. opposed REFORMS IN ARMENIA
believed Great Britain, France
and Russia ave Determined to
Force Turkey to Comply.

aud Russia ave Determined to
Force Turkey to Comply.
Canstantinople, June 6.-The reply
ttba Turkish government to the notes
,ba CONSERVATIVES of Great Britain,
r.snra and Russia, regarding the pro-
sad reforms in Armenia, has been
5.J,rarad to the envoy. The porte
answer is not satisfactory. Turkish gov
-,,oanr does not agree to the principle
w, r5a control of the proposed reforms
~. r5a Dowers. After receiving the re-
~. the ENJOYS of the three powers
5l5 meeting, at which they decided
..r.f.r rbe whole matter to their re-
'ao.rive governments. The situation
- ..ri,1,. as last week the British en-
l...r informed the porte that Great
p5r,in had decided not to accept any
qualifications of the proposition effect
mo reforms III Armenia, and the rep
rs..ptatives Of other powers have made
the same declaration to the porte. The
rsoIr Of the Turkish government causes
sunrise. 1t is thought such answer
wo1Id not be given without encourage
,oanr from some European power, but
+bn nra,ence of the British Mediterran-
can s1uadron, consisting of seventeen
sbio;, at Beyrout, points to an agree
,op,t between Great Britain, France
and Russia to force Turkey to comply
with the demands of the powers.
Consequently, interesting news may
soon be flashed from Beyrout, Syria,
where it Is believed the British fleet
will be called upon to support the de-
mands Of the three powers. The meas
ur., which Great Britain, France and
Russia insist upon as preliminary to
the reform. include the appointment of
high commissioner from Armenia,
general amnesty and release of all po-
htcal prisoners, the revision of certain
judgments and the appointment of a
commission to sit at Constantinople,
charged with the application Of the re-
forms and working i'll connection with
the nigh commissioner.
Its also demanded by the powers
that the governor and heterogeneous
Of Van, Erzeroum, Sivas, Bitlis, Khar-
toum and Trebiz0nd be Christian or
NuSsaImanS, according as the popula-
ton of the places is inclined. In any
case. however, either the governor or
yce-goyernor Of the places named is to
be a Christian, and the appointment of
these officials is to be approved by the
powers.
Taxes are to be collected by local and
not by state officials, and enough is to
be retained before the money is for
warded t. Constantinople to provide
for the cost Of local government, as
under the present system all tax money
is first sent to COnstantinople, and but
little Of it returns to Armenia.
The powers propose to compel the
porte II make radical changes in the
Judicial system, III order to insure fair
trials, the surveillance of prisons and
the abolition Of torture, and the police
bD be composed of Turks and Chris
uanS equally. Finally, the Turkish
government is to be compelled to strict
y enforce the law against compulsory
conviction Of Islamism.
As already cabled, when the sultan
read the note Of the representative pow
eTs' outlining the proposed reforms, he
was not unfavoralby impressed. He
mad several conferences with the for
H5n ambassadors, and the Austrian
AMBASSADOR urged him to accquiesce to
1' demands Of the powers. But II
Was added at the time that the sultan
appeared to be counting upon the moral
support Of Emperor William of Ger
many, to whom he is known to have
$nt an autograph letter on the sub
lect