Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-10
Sultan Controls the Situation at
Constantinople.
STANDS ON TIE LONDON TREATY OF II
How the British Embassy Was
Protected.
RETURN OF SAID PASHA

copyrighted 1895. by tine Associated Press.)
Sofia, Bulgaria, December 1O.-The prom
ised surprise in the eastern situation, the
flight of Said Pasha to the British en-
bassy, which was followed by the landing
of British blue jackets from the British
guardship Cockatrice and the ambassa-
doris yacht Imogene. which caused much
complication and delayed considerably the
settlement Of the dispute between the pow
ers and the sultan as to the admittance of
extra guard ships into the Bosphorus, has
about worn itself out and matters are now
,resuming their usual aspect. The cunning
Of the Turk, 1t seems, Is stiu a match for
all the strength of Europe, although it is
said that at the interview which the Rus
sian ambassador. NJ. de Nelidoff, had with
the sultan yesterday a message from the
car was delivered. insisting upon the
prompt granting of the firmans for the
passage of the extra guard ships through
the Straits of the DardanelleS. But such
statements have frequently been made be-
fore. and people here are beginning to he
Heve that the powers have about exhausted
their stock of threats, and that the time
for action has arrived.
Turks Congrntulnting Themselves.
However, this also has previously been a
and his advisers are congratulating them
selves in the YildiZ kiosk upon the success
of their policy of delay, and implicitly
trust in the eventual disruption of the re-
ported accord of Europe.
But one little fact which has leaked out
although not CT great Importance, has GER
tainly been somewhat of a surprise to the
uninitiated, and that is that after all said
and done, Great Britain actually has two
guardships In the BosphoruS. One, the
&C ckatrice, Is not a very imposing vessel,
1t is true. as she Is only GOO-ton vessel,
carrying two guns, and the other. the Imo-
gene, termed the British ambassadors
yacht" is only of 400 tons, and her arma-
ment Is unimportant. But it is understood
that the sultan has been making this
strong point in his argument against the ad-
mission of an extra guardship for Great
Britain and it is alleged that the 1EoSene
is to be sent away. when the firmans are
granted and that the Dryad or some other
effective gunboat will take her place.
If reports are to be believed the MESA sc
delivered to the sultan by NJ de Nelidon
was the final effort of the embassies to
4, duce the sultan to yield to The powers in
the matter OF the extra guardships, and 1t
is once more said that if he does not 10 so
the guardships will be ordered to the Dar-
danelles, supported by the foreign squad
rons
Another point raised by the sultan Is that
Sir Philip Currie, the British ambassador,
erred in ordering the landing Of blue
jackets for the protection of the British
embassy. 1t is also reported that the sui
tan insists upon the re-em oarkation of the
blue-jackets before he will continue nego-
tiations with the British embassy for the
issuance of the firmanS.
There may be some truth in this, espe-
cially as 1t is understood that the blue
Jackets are to be sent back to the guard
ships now that Said Pasha has returned to
his home and the danger of an attack upon
the British embassy, if it ever existed. has
Thn Tn yiSh off oil loi in,
that there nsver was any danger of such an
attack, and that the complaint made that
the embassy and the guardShipS were sur
rounded by Turkish spies was based on a
misunderstanding of the facts in the case.
They assert that the so-called spies were
really Turkish police agents, who were
sent tC give additional protection to the
embassy at the first rumOr that the men,
bers of the embassy were in a state of
alarm
Force Was Contemplated.
This is denied by the embassy people, who
claim that at a certain stage of the negotia-
tions for the surrender or return to his
home of Said Pasha it was really contem-
plated to take him by force, and for this
reason the commanders of the Cockatrice
and Imogene We're asked to send blue
jackets ashore. The latter patrolled the
grounds of the embassy which is surround
ed by high, thick walls, and has a couple
of guns to defend it's entrance.
III addition, the road leading to the en-
bassy is commanded by the guns of the
British gunboat Cockatrice, which lies in
the Bosphorus oppCSit the embassy. Be-
sides, the servants and personnel of the
embassy number about fifty men all told,
and they are known to be well armed and
to have plenty of am FnuGition. Under these
circumstances it 5 further pointed out,
there can have been no real reason for the
landing of the sailors.
These apparently trivial matters show
upon what little grounds the cultan lights
not a movement at any of the embassies
which is not closely watched and reported
to the sultan, and, If circumstances are be
lieved to warrant it, each move is made
the basis for some fresh Representations.
which causes further delay ard annoyance.
The Sultan's Rights.
The only real ground which the sultan
has for refusing the firmans is said 10 be
contained in article ii of the London con-
yention of 1871, by which the sultan alone
has the authority to open the straits of the
Dardanelles in time of peace to the war
ships of friendly powers, and then only
provided the sublime porte considers such
a measure necessary for the protection or
execution of the stipula,ions of the treaty
of Paris" in other words, for the ma,nte-
nance of the integrity, territorial and other
wise, of the Turkish empire.
The sultan holds that there is nothing to
warrant the assumption that the independ-
ence or territorial integrity of the Turkish
empire Is threatened, and that as quiet pre-
walls in Constantinople, there is no reason
why the sultan's dignity should be lowered
by the irtimation that he is unable to
maintain order in his own domiEions