The Yale expositor., 1895-12-13
GENERAL NEWS.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS FROM
MANY SOURCES.
The Powers Renew Their Demands for
Permission To Pass the Dardanelles
with Extra Guardships- Pashs
FIees From the Sultan's Wrath.

London: The Times has n dispatch
from Constan tinople which says that
the embassies have received instruc-
tions from their respective govern
ments that the guardships question
must be pushed home, and that it is
impossible for the powers TO retire
from the position which they have
assumed.
This indicates that the powers have
decided that extra guardships must
pass through the Dardanelles and the
sultan has been asked for the last time
for the frmans. A time limit was
given for reply and the alternative
was that the parsage would be forced.
When Great Britain threatened TO take
this course if the firmans were not
granted, the sultan appealed person
ally to the governments of Russia,
Austria, Germany and France, begging
them not to press their demands, but
met with no success. The Russian
government replied that it would
Sound the cabinets of France, Germany
and Austria. and did so, but received
nothing but unfavorable replies, of
which he informed the Turkish ambas-
sador. Thus, apparently, the sui
tan was shown that he no
longer has hacker in Europe.
II here have been frequent cabinet
councils at the sultan's palace and sew
eral exchanges of communications
with the representatives of the powers,
but no decision seems To have been
arrived at. I he existence of n cabinet
crisis has long been commented upon.
Said Pasha, the president of the Turk
ish council of state and formerly grand
vizier, has taken refuge in the British
embassy at Constantinople, believing
himself not only to be in danger of
arrest, but fearing for his life. All
the Turkish ministers stand in great
apprehension of being summarily dealt
with by the sultan. Seeing the meshes
of the European net drawing closer
and closer around him every day,
Abdul Hamid is described as being
frantic with impotent rage and likely
to wreak vengeance upon any or all of
his ministers.
There are more rumoTs in cir
culation regarding the massing of
Russian troops on the Turkish frontier
and the gathering of a Russian fleet
near the Bosphorous 1t has been re-
ported that several Russian war YES
sells have been sighted off the Black
sea coast of Turkey, and nobody would
be astonished to see Russla's extra
guardship steam into the Bosphorous
from the east at about the same time
that Great Britain's extra gunboat
passes the Dardenelles.
Later Reports from Asiatic Turkey.
A massacre has occurred at Hassan
Kahleh in the Nilayet of Erzeroum,
where the Armenian monastery was
IL r..,I Aa.h hon Il
vicar and other inmates were killed.
Over 200 Armenians were killed in
Ceserea. The Armenians are now bar
ricaded in their homes and are il fear
of being massacred. Panic reigns also
among the Christians of Jerusalem and
Beyrout.
The situation at Bitlis causes re-
newed anxiety among the missionaries
as many alarming reports of rioting
and bloodshed are in circulation.
dispatch from Marash says the Amer
lean missionaries there are safe, bit
the mission buildings were attacked
by Turkish troops and "a number of
the inmates killed.
Letters from Aleppo state that even
the most vague reports OF the out
breaks or threatened outbreaks in or
about that city cause panics among
the Christians, who are SO in dread of
being massacred that at the first note
of alarm they hastily close up their
stores and seek refuge in their houses,
where they have made all preparations
possible to defend themselves.
Turkish officials at Erzeroum, Err
singjan, Baiburt and Bitlis force the
Armenians, under penalty of torture,
to sign addresses of gratitude 70 the
Turkish government for the ''protec-
ton during the recent disorders"
The police of Constantinople are
again arresting Armenians and trans
porting them in patches to their own
country on the plea that they are a
menace to the peace. Over thousand
Armenians have thus been expelled.
1t is understood that the advance upon
Zeitoun may be expected at any time,
and the Armenians who are in rebel
lion there Will be shown no mercy.