The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-11-08
The Turkish Minister of Foreign
Affairs Will Answer the
Powers Very Soon.
Each Day Adds Greatly to the
Difficulty of the Tasks
Set for Him.
Sultan Might Proclaim a Holy
War if He Thought It
Would Answer.

CONSTANTINOPLE, NOV. b, via Sofia,
Bulgaria, Nov S.-The Turkish min
lister for foreign affairs, Said Pasha, has
promised to give the ambassadors Of
the powers q 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 pro-
lection of Christians in that part Of the
Turkish empire.
This was the point especially alluded
to by the ambassadors on Tuesday last,
when they called separately and repre-
sented that the present state Of affairs
in Armenia
Could Not he Allowed to Continue,
and that if adequate measures were not
shortly taken to bring about the restora-
ton of order, the powers would be COM
PEELED, acting in concert, to take their
own steps in the matter. No combined
action Of such grave Importance, upon
the part of the powers, has been taken
for years past, but the fact that the
porte was reminded Of the Intervention
o. the powers in Syria, at the time Of
the massacre of 1860. is considered as a
direct warning to the sultan that Eu-
rope will intervene to restore order in
Armenia, unless the Turkish govern
ment acts promptly.
Situation Becomes Daily More Alarming.
AS each day passes, however, the sit
uation becomes more and more alarm
ing, and adds very greatly to the
difficulty of the task before the porte
and possibly before the European pow
ers. From Syria, especially, the most
disquieting rumors are coming, and
that they are based ON facts is shown
by the mobilization of 20 battalions Of
Redifs, out of the 30 available, and the
steps being taken to dispatch them as
promptly rs possible to that portion Of
Asiatic Turkey. This lends color to the
report that the Armenians 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 Armenian and Turkish subjects are
constantly being made here and else
where, but owing to the press censor
ship few facts in this connection are OBJ
tainable, Possibly the gravest turn in
recent events lies in the fact established
beyond any doubt that the dissatisfac-
ton against the rule Of the sultan has
extended to the Turkish army and navy,
and that the palace officials are we'll
aware of this fact and are in q state Of
the greatest alarm. Nobody would be
astonished to hear at any moment of an
outbreak in the palace, itself In fact,
the people who are well versed in Turk
ish affairs assert that this is among the
immediate probabilities, and only a
prompt show Of force upon the part Of
the European fleets can avert it.
A veritable Reign Of Terror.
Trustworthy reports which have been
received here from Erzeroum state that
it has been established beyond dispute
that the Turkish troops took part in the
recent massacre and pillage of Arme-
mans there and, it is added, clear evil
dence Of this fact will be placed before
the representatives of the powers.
Private accounts represent the condi-
ton of the Asiatic provinces of Turkey
as being deplorable in the extreme. A
veritable reign of terror is said to exist,
and bloodshed and robbery are Of daily
occurrence.
Might Proclaim a Holy War.
Such state of affairs cannot be al
lowed 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 the army reserves will
have little or no effect upon the situa-
ton, as the troops cannot be relied
upon in such an emergency and the
condition Of the Turkish finances bars
anything like wholesale and energetic
action upon the part Of the Turkish gov.
ernment unless holy war is pro-
claimed, and that could only be done by
inflaming the religious fanaticism OF
the Turks against the Christians. This,
it is believed, the porte would not hes.
itate to do in the case Of an invasion OF
the Turkish dominions, but such a step
would not be calculated to suppress in.
ternal disorders, the basis Of which
should be the protection of the Chris
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