Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-07
A CRISIS IN TURKEY
Importance of the Recent Action of
the Powers.
TIE SITUATION GROVSMORE ALARMING
A Reign Of Terror in the Asiatic
Provinces.
ARRESTS IN CONSTANTINOPLE

CONSTANTINOPLE, November Hall
Ritat Pasha, the Turkish minister for the
Interior has been appointed grand vizier,
in succession to Kiamil Pasha, resigned.
A Turkish ministry has been formed
as follows: Hall Rifat Pasha, grand viZier
Said Pssha. president of the council of
state; Tewfik Pasha, minister for foreign
affairs; Hassan Pasha, minister of marine;
Ria Pasha, minister of war; Memduh
Pasha, minister of the interior; Abdur
Rahman Pasha, minister of justice; Sabri
Pasha, minister of finance; Arh Pasha,
minister without portfolio. Ria Pasha was
minister of war in the last cabinet, Hassan
Pasha was minister of marine in the late
ministry, Hall Rifat Pasha is the ex-minis
ter of the interior, and Tewfik Pasha has
just come here from Berlin, where he was
Turkish ambassador TO Germany. Finally,
Said Pasha was minister for foreign af
fairs in the late cabinet and previously
grand vizier.
Reply to the Powers Promised.
The Turkish minister for foreign affairs,
Said Pasha has promised to give the an
bassadors of the powers definite reply
within two days as to what steps the porte
intends to take for the restoration of order
in Armenia, and to provide for the protec
ton of Christians in that part of the Turk
ish empire
This was the point especially alluded to
by the ambassadors Tuesday, when they
called separately and represented that the
present state of affairs in Armenia could
not be allowed to continue, and that If ad-
equate measures were not shortly taken to
bring about the restoration of order, the
powers would be compelled, acting in con-
cert. to take their own steps in the mat
ter.
No combined action of such grave import
ance upon the part of the powers has been
taken for years past, and the fact that the
porte was reminded OF the intervention q
the powers in Syria at the time of the mas
sacreS in 1860 is considered as a direct
warning to the sultan that Europe will
intervene to restore order in Armenia IN
less the Turkish government acts promptly.
AS each day passes, however, the situa-
tion becomes more and more alarming, and
adds to the difficulty of the task before the
porte, and, possibly, before the European
powers.
From Syria. especially, the most dsquiet-
ing rumorS are coming, and that they are
based on facts is shown by the mobilization
Of twenty battalionS of Redifs, out of the
sixty available, and the steps being taken
to dispatch them rs promptly as possible
to that portion of Astatic Turkey. This
lends color to the report that the Armen-
ians are receiving support from unexpected
sources, and that the Turkish government
may Soon be face to face with an open
and widespread revolt against the rule of
the sultan.
Arrests of Suspects.
Arrests of Armenian and Turkish sus-
poets are constantly being made here and
elsewhere; but owing to the press censor
ship few facts in this connect ton are OBJ
ttJnable.
Possibly the most grave turn in recent
events lies in the fact established beyond
dissatisfaction
the rule of the sultan has extended to the
Turkish army and navy, and that the pal
ace officials are well aware of this fact
and are in a state of greatest alarm. No
body here would be astonished to hear at
any moment of an outbreak in the palace
itself; in fact, people who are well versed
in Turkish affairs assert that this is among
the immediate probabilities, and that only
q prompt show of force upon the part of
the European fleets can avert it.
Trustworthy reports which have been re-
ceved here from ErZeroum state that it
has been established beyond dispute that
the Turkish troops took part in the recent
massacre and pillase of Armenans there,
and, it is added, clear evidence of this fact
Of the powers.
A Reign of Terror.
Private accounts represent the condition
of the Asiatic provinces of Turkey as being
deplorable in the extreme. A veritable reign
of terror is said to exist, ana bloodshed and
robbery are of daily occurrence.
The police of this city are kept busy night
and day, watching everybody and every
thing. To such an extent is this system of
police surveillance carried that two serV-
ants in the employ of English merchants
here have been arrested while returning
from the post office with letters and news
papers. The latter We're seized by the police
in spite of the protests OF the servants and
We're carried away to the police depot for
examination The English merchants
promptly complained to the British charge
d'affaires, the Hon. Michael Herbert and
the latter has made strong representations
to the porte on the subject.
OF course, such a state Of affairs cannot
be allowed to exist much longer, as the lives
of all Christians In Armenia are in danger
and there is hourly expectation of the most
serious trouble in almost every part of the
Turkish empire.
The mere calling out of the army reserves
will have little or no effect on the situation.
as the troops can not be relied upon in
such an emergency, and the wretched con-
dition of the Turkish finances bars any-
thing like wholesale and energetic action
upon the part of the Turkish government
unless holy war is proclaimed, and that
could only be done by inflaming the relg-
icus fdnaticism of the Turk against the
Christians. This, 1t is believed, the porte
would not hesitate to do in the case of an
invasion of the Turkish domnions; but
such a step would net be calculated to SUD-
press interior disorders, the basis of which
should be the protection of the Christian
population of Armenia
Hall Rfat Pasha, the new grand vizier
of Turkey, has the reputation of being an
able administrator. He has held numerous
high posts and is a man of broad views
Judged from! Turkish standpoint
The grand viZier is expected to have a
moderating influence between the Mussul-
mans and the Christians; but it is thought
that he Will not be able to do anything of
renarkabl" nature at the present serious
juncture of affairs in the Turkish empire
SECRETARY CARLISLE RETURNS.