River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-12-12

posed a plan for concerted action,
don and st. Petersburg, Lord Salisbury
going SO far as to mildly apologize for
the sultan in a speech delivered on No
Sember 10.
Mr.. Gladstone's statement that Rus
STA is at the feet of Turkey needs in
depreciation The car and his adj
yisers are rot afraid of Turkey, but
they fear that any ill-advised move on
their part might give Austria and
Great Britain an advantage in the di-
vision of the spoils. Twice within this
century Russia has called the porte
to account. The Crimean war was the
result of Mohammedan outrages. With
out the help which England and France
then gave to tie Ottoman empire its
days in Europe anu in the Christian
provinces of Asia Minor would have
been numbered. The Russo-TurlSish
war of 1877, which gave freedom to mill
lions of Christians from the Mussulman
yoke, would have ended Abdul Hamid's
reign in Europe had not the congress
of Berlin protected him. In both in
stances the powers who had the settle
ment of the oriental quesl ion in their
hands sided with the ''unspeaka bic
Turk" fl ON purely selfish motives, and
il is no exaggeration to say that the
blood of the murdered Armenian Chris
tians is on the hands of Disraeli and
those diplomats who aided him in de-
priving Russia of her just deserts Is
years ago.
And now, when the civilized states
of Europe have another opportunity to
advance the cause of Christianity and
good government, the same petty jeal-
cusy which has retarded progress in
the Balkan peninsula during the past
half century is at work and threatens
a continuation of Turkish power in
Constantinople and the Christian prov
inces of the Ottoman realm.
Austria, so semi-official statements
confirm, suggested the establishment of
Independent governments in Salonica,
Macedonia, Albania and other Turkish
vilayets, or provinces, in Europe,
the administration OF all of them
10 be under the supervision of
Russia, Austria, Great Britain, France,
Italy and Germany. But this plan,
equitable though it seems. did not
meet with favor anywhere. The fact
of the matter is, neither Russia nor
England desires the establishment of
semi-independent governments, both
wishing to secure possession of Con-
stantinople and the Bosphorus.
Ii 10 30
esce in Russia's grab game, provided
she could secure lie Turkish islands
in the archipelago and one or two
provinces in Asa Minor. In the event
of such a settlement Austria would
claim Montenegro and Scutari, the pos
session of which provinces would di-
vide the control of the Adriatic sea be-
tween Italy and herself. Discuss IN
ubout Macedonia might be avoided by
adding it to the kingdom of Greece,
to which il really belongs. Germany
would not interfere with such an ar
rangement, provided the kingdom of
Roumania, which is under its special
protection, would be permitted TO re-
main intact. Servia, at present an in
dependent kingdom. would continue
to exist-a buffer state between Austria
and Bulgaria. The latter principality
would remain independent nominally,
although il is. even now, virtually a
russian province. Prince Ferdinand.
the cowardly clown who has for some
years been posing as the ruler of Bull
garia, would be ousted sans ceremony
and his place filled by Prince Charles
of Denmark. who is soon to marry
Princess Maud of Wales. East Rou-
melia. now a semi-independent Turkish
province, would be absorbed by Russia.
The division of European Turkey as
here outlined would please everybody
outside of the foreign offices at the differ
emit capitals of Europe; and when di-
vision is made finally it must be made
along the lines here outlined. TIE
objection that Russia is a Jrannical
country and should therefore not Sc
pure Constantinople is not logical; for