New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-11
THE PEACE OF EUROPE.


Threats Of war make peace more certain.
That is the salicn; feature of the European stu
alton For half century the Powers have been
bolstering M and doctoring the Sick Man. ms
was NOT because they loved him. but because
they feared his death would be the signal Tor
great fight over his estate. Now that catastrophe
seems close at hand. 1t may occur to-day. But
there is little thought of its long-dreaded sequel.
The crisis shows, more clearly than anything
else has shown for years. the unwillingness OF
the Powers to break the peace OF Europe FOR
years men have pictured them as eager ana
anxious for war watching with Argus eyes FOR
a pretext for flying at each others throats NOW
the opportunity comes, and Lion ana Bear roar
rs gently az any sucking dove. 1t may be that
they are merely afraid to fight, well Knowing
how terrible collision between modern arma-
ments would be. Ii may be that they nave
sincere moral reluctance to commit so great
crime. Whatever the reason be. it is enectual.
The prospect of continued peace was never
better than at tins very moment which has long
been regarded as the sure prelude to war
That is the unquestionablc meaning or two
speeches made on Saturday, made deliberately
hy the responsible Ministers Of two OF the great
est Powers and of the two Powers, moreover
which are most antagonstic to each other ana
from which most danger 10 peace has been ap-
prchcnded For the last dozen years or more the
attitude of France toward Great Britain has
been one of intense jealousy. resentment, ana
SCARCELY yelled hostility. This has been caused
by the Egyptian business. and the Egyptian
business is intimately connected with-is indeed
mart of-,he general Eastern problem, and must
be powerfully affected by whatever settlement Is
/ made Of the latter NJ Constantinople. HAD
France therefore wished to proceed to extremi-
ties in demanding satisfaction for her loss IN
| Ecypt. now would have been her opportunity.
| She could hav, refused TO act with Great Britain
in cocrcing the Porte, without assurances OF
Great Brtains prompt REIMBURSEMENT Of Egypt
| She could have told her ally, Russia, 10 go into
| Armenia alone and settle the troubles there with
strong hand. without fear of British inter
ference But she has not done so. and has ap-
parently had no thought Of doing so. On the
contrary NJ. Berthelot assures his colleagues,
and lets the assurance go out to France and to
the world. that the Quai d'Orsay and Downing
| Street are in absolute accord.
I Even more significant was the speech Of Lord
| Salisbury at the Mansion House: because 1t was
more detailed and explicit, and because the
British Prime Minister on such occasions takes
the public into his confidence more fully than do
the Ministers Of other Powers. Lord Salisbury
is often optimistic He is now But. on this
occasion OF any rate. his optimism is not airy
and needless 1t is serious and thoughtful, and
| confidently based upon positive knowledge. He
and the French Foreign Minister are both emf
nent scientists They look at politics and di-
plomacy as at problems in chemistry or engineer
Ing. They deal with them in such a spirit and
they speak of them with measure of scientific
deliberation and precision. When, therefore,
Lord Salisbury says the Powers are tremendously
cooperating in the Turkish crisis. we may take
his words as more than formal phrases He
means what he says He does not, Of course.
venture to prophesy what will happen. No So
| rlous statesman would do that. He realizes, and
does not hesitate to admit, that the best plans
nav be brought 10 naught by some unexpected
incident. But such incidents occur when Powers
are looking for them and wishing for them and
seeking pretexts for dSsension They are not
likely to occur when rs az the present time, the
Powers are fully impressed with "a sense Of the
appalling danger any separation of their action
"micht produce" and when consequently as
Lord Salisbury also assures us. they are earnest
IL striving to avoid disscnsions and to maintain
the peace.
The general outlook in Europe may therefore
he regarded as distinctly peaceful. in spite of
and indeed because of-tLe probability Of sravesi
local disturbances in the East. Peace between
The great Powers does not mean immunity for
Turkey ON the contrary, II means an unielent
ing increase of pressure upon that wreiched
trayesfy of government. until either il shall re
form itself and deal uprightly with It's people
or shall altogether collapse and give place to a
new political dispensation. The latter now
seems the more probable result The Sultan
means WE'LL but il powcrless. His Ministers
may mean well or ILL., but they. too. are power
loss either to give the Empire good govern
mont or TO resist the united and advancing
Powers Before the year ends we may see such
a campaign as that which THE Spectator. one
az the most serious and authoritative Of British
journals. is now discussing With British ant
French fleets commanding the coast and th'
Straits and with an Austrian army moving from
Bosnia toward Saonica, aud thence, perhaps K
Constantinople itself. aud Russian army a
the same time occupying Armenia and Anatolia
| | effective resistance by the Turks would be i'm
, possible Against Il single Power their fanaica
, legions might hold their ground: before Il con
| certed movement Of the whole vast camp o
European miltarism their struggles would b'
, brief and futile Thus 10 rescue some Of III,
. fairest regions on the earth from OF th'
! worst Of governments. and to set twenty million
people free from slavery. would be the best iol
those huge ornaments have ever done. II wOult
remove one Of Europes worst reproaches. /