The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-07-19
But the Dreibund Proposes to
Overthrow Turkish Rule
on the Island.
AND MAY DICTATE THE TERMS
If Objection Is Made at Constantinop'e
the Conference Will Be Held
at Vienna.

BERLIN, GERMANY, July 18.-Prince
Bismarck's opinion upon the Cretan ques-
ton as given by the ex-Chancellor in an
interview published in the Neue Fret
Presse of Vienna, that it interested him
less than did the small plat of land in his
garden, is being widely quoted by the
German press and quite as extensively
commented upon. This opinion, how
ever, is not shared in the Foreign Office,
where the expected developments of the
situation are best appreciated. Nor is it
shared by the Emperor, who during his
northern trip is daily sending and receiv-
ing kilograms upon the subject.
Until recently German diplomacy has
been kept in the background so far as Gre
tan matters have been concerned and the
German ambassador at Constantinople,
Baron Saurma Won Geltsch, has acted
strictly in consonance with Baron de CAL
ice, the Austrian ambassador to Turkey,
in his intercourse with the Porte aiming
at maintenance Of the Turkish regime in
Crete with some notifications favorable
to the inhabitants of that ISL
and. The tide of affairs, how
ever, has now changed and there is
high authority for the statement that ne
gotiations are in progress for the call of a
conference of the European powers to
consider the ACCESSIBILITY of concerted in
reference. Some of the Paris newspapers
indeed announce that NJ. Hanotaux,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, has actually
made direct proposal that such a con-
ference be convened, but this assertion
has been semi-officiaIly denied. Still
semi-official statements are not always or
even often correct. Whether NJ. Hano-
taux has even initiated active negotiations
looking to the calling of q conference or
not, however, it is a fact that communica-
tons are being exchanged among some of
the powers with view of bringing about
settlement of the Cretan troubles.
The basis of the difficulty lies in the
scope of the suggested conference. All of
the powers are now convinced that the
Cretans will no longer submit to the abso-
lutte authority of the Turks and they fear
an extension of the rising of the islanders
in Macedonia and the consequent Drecipi-
tatlon OF the whole Eastern question to an
acute stage. The powers constituting the
Dreibund-Italy Germany and Austria
together with England, will accept con-
ference, if it shall be limited to considera-
ton OF settlement of the troubles in
Crete. 1t is only Russia and France that
want wider basis of consideration.
In the meantime the Porte steadily OPP
poses all Intervention on the part of the
powers. The general belief in diplomatic
circles here, however, is that conference
will be arranged upon the terms laid down
by the Dreibund powers and that it will be
held in Constantinople, if the Porte will
consent to it, and probably in Vienna. ii
the Turkish Government refuses to have it
meet in the Turkish capital
Two notable by-elections for members
OF the Reichstag have been held this week.
In the Loewenberg district the Freissinige
candidate was elected by 100 majority
over the candidates of the Agrarians and
the Conservatives. The Agrarians explain
their defeat in every way except in the
true one, which is that the once strong in
fuence of their party is fast waning in
Loewenberg, and TO that cause is due the
last of their series of defeats since the
general elections. In the SchWetz district
the general candidate beat the Polish
nominee by only 1877 votes. after an ex-
ceedingly bitter contest in which number
OF free fights occurred. In one instance a
party of German electors assaIled a Polish
landowner while he was on his way to the
polls and attempted to prevent him from
going to the voting place. The land.
owner drew revolver and fired into the
crowd, killing one of his assailants and
wounding another very seriously. The
Polish election summoned the Polish
workmen from all parts of the district to
uphold their national ticket.
Under Secretary of State Won Boeschoten
OF the South African Republic, who has
been in Berlin for some time, has left the
city and his departure has caused the issu-
ance OF semi-otficial communications as
sorting that he was not charged with any
special mission to the German Govern
ment. Nevertheless he made repeated
calls at the Foreign Office while here. The
fact is without doubt that the renewal of
amicable relations between Germany and
England which were in slight degree dis
turbed by the Transvaal trou bles caused
by DR.. Jameson's raid, fo.led Won Doe scho-
ten in Whatever purpose he may have had
in coming to Berlin.
The Reichsanzeiger, the official journal.
announces that IN the Governments new
colonial bill there will be a striking pro-
vision whereby young colonlsts liable to
military service in the German army NAV
perform such service in the colonial forces
instead.
The Standard Oil Company has pur-
chased nearly one-half of the shares OF
the syndicate of the Nobel Brothers. the
great Russian oil merchants, thus en-.
abling the formation of union of the
great American and Russian producers OF
petroleum.
The German-American petroleum syndi-
cate has acquired by purchase the business
of the Ruth Company and the Baku
Standard Company at Dusseldorf.