The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-20
PARALLELED
IN DIPLOMACY,
Premier Salisbury Answers
the Pleas Of the
Sultan.
TO OFFSET A SPEECH.
At the Conference of Colonial
Agents the Letter From
Turkeys Ruler Read.
REPEATS PROMISE OF REFORM.
But There Is Little Comfort for the
Porte in the English States
mans Remarks.

Iish diplomacy occurred this evening at
the conference of the colonial agents in
London. This was the reading of letter
from the Sultan of Turkey to Lord Sails
bury, begging him to make speech that
would offset the one delivered on the occa-
sion of the banquet given by the new Lord
Mayor of London.
Lord Salisbury referred to the impropri-
ETY. of reading the letter to the conference,
but he took advantage OF the occasion
simply to grant, so far as he could, the re-
quest made by the Sultan. At the outset
of his speech the Prime Minister said:
"Allow me to say a word in answer to q
very distinguished distant correspondent,
if l may so term him, who has requested
me to make a statement in some public
speech. My correspondent is no less q
person than the Sultan of Turkey. Loud
cheers l feel that there is profound i'm
propriety in thrusting any diplomatic de-
tails on your attention, and / hope you
will believe that nothing would have in
duced me to produce on this occasion the
august message I shall read except the
distinct commands of the person from
whom it proceeded"
speech he delivered at the Guild hall on
the occasion of the banquet given oy the
new Lord Mayor of London on November
9, and added:
His Majesty has been pleased to send a
message to say that he has been very much
panied TO read the report of that speech
and the expression CT the opinion that the
promised reforms in Turkey would not be
executed. His Majesty desires it to be
known that he is carrying out those re-
forms decided upon by him. He is desir-
Gus of executing them at the earliest posi-
bic moment and has SO repeatedly
instructed his Ministers. His Majesty
continues: The only reason why Lord
Salisbury should thus throw doubts on my
good intentions must be the intrigues OF
certain persons here or false statements
made to cause such an opinion
"After intermediate observations his
Majesty says: 4 repeat that will execute
the reforms. l will take the paper con-
tanning them, place it before me and.see
that every article is put in force. This is
my earnest determination and give my
word of honor. L wish Lord Salisbury to
know this, and beg and desire his lord
D.
tions, to make another speech by virtue of
the friendly feeling and disposition he has
for me and my country. shall await the
result of this message with the greatest
anxiety"
When the Prime Minister had finished
reading the letter he was greeted with
loud applause. When quiet had been re-
stored he again appealed to his hearers to
acquit him of improperly for such an un-
precedented act as reading such message
at a public meeting, but declared that he
could not abstain from reading it without
showing discourtesy to the distinguished
potentate who had written it. He then
said: GAS you know, we are part of the
concert of Europe. which has resolved, so
far as it acts, to act with unanimity.
Some persons seem to imagine that
We dispose of the decisions Of the
European powers. That is crediting us
with more influence than we possess
Whatever is done must be done with un-
animity. 1 don't admit that responsibility
for any decision that the powers make
rests entirely or mainly on this country.
We and all the powers are in a position
common to those who are obliged to act
together, namely, that if others don't agree
with them they cannot have their own
way, but in no wise desire to intimate by
these words that the slightest shade OF dis
agreement has arisen among the powers"
Lord Salisbury expressed deep regret for
the apparently irrecoverable illness OF
Rustem Pasha, the Turkish Embassad or
to Great Britain, and said that he had
been a most valuable intermediary be-
tween the Ottoman and British Govern
ments; but it was not this that had given
him a name among the statesmen of
Europe.
He was man who, by combining firm
ness, Justice and conciliation, had brought
peace to the Lebanon district, when it was
torn with the dissensions race and creed.
He could not help feeling that if men like
Rustem Pasha had had charge of the dis
tricts in which the recent horrors had !oc-
Cured, the conscience of Europe would
never have been tried nor its sympathies
racked by the details of suffering and
terror.
'If" he continued 'there were men
like Rustem Pasha around the Sultan the
problem would not be solved by external
action of the advising powers, which is
clumsy device at the best. 1t would be
solved by the natural operation OF the
counsels of an enlightened minority work
ing through efficient and competent in
struments. [Cheers.l l don't see the
men who are to replace Rustem Pasha. L
enter into the question why there
are none such now. Twenty-Five years
ago there were several such. exhort you
to consider that the terrible Armenian
problem is quite as much the want OF COM
petent men as it is the want OF
adequate laws. The mere writing of new