The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-01
As President Monroe Himself
Understood 1t.
HIS SPEECH CHEERED.
Speaks of the Armenia Question
Very Plainly.
Not Authorized by the Berlin
Treaty to Interfere.

LONDON, Feb. 1.-The banquet of
the Non-Conformist Unionist associa-
ton at the Hotel Metropole last night
was the occasion of an address by
the Marquis of Salisbury. prime min
lister and secretary of state for foreign
affairs. In the course of his remarks
he said with reference to Venezuela:
81 have been held up as the de-
nouncer of the Monroe doctrine. As
matter of fact, although the Monroe
doctrine is no part of international
law, my dispatch to Mr.. Olney, the
secretary of state of the United States,
supported it. as a rule of policy, in the
strongest and most distinct terms
But when l stated in that dispatch
and reiterate now, that, as rule of
policy, we are the advocates of the
Monroe doctrine, we mean the Monroe
doctrine as President Monroe under
stood it. (Cheers). In that sense you
will not find any more convinced sup
porters than we are"
Lord Salisbury then turned abrupt
" to the Armenian question, and here
reproached the religious communities
with la boring under a mistake when
they supposed that England had
bound herself in honor to succor the
Armenians, which means to go to war
with the Sultan in order to force him to
govern the ArmeDians well. The Ber-
lin treaty, Lord Salisbury said, mere
" bound the signatory powers that if
the Sultan promulgated certain re-
forms they would watch over the exc
cution of those reforms. Nothing
more He did not think anyone could
interpret that as an undertaking to
go to war.
The speaker reminded his hearers
that the reforms which the Sultan
had recently accepted, although very
good reforms, could not be expected
to produce good government in two
months ''They require time to work
out" the speaker went on to say.
They would require time IN a civil
lied community, and much more SO in
a savage and fanatic community L
hope they will have beneficial effect
as time progresses"
Lord Salisbury then continued by
saying: Meantime, by spreading
among the Turks, these reforms have
unfortunately led to the preparation
of horrors which can only be compared
with the days of Gonghis Khan and
Tamerlane. l am aware that many
influential people aver that this was
done by the sultan and his govern
ment with set purposes. My own
opinion IS that the sultan's govern
ment is weak, wretched, impotent and
powerless; but it is a dream to imag-
inc that he ordered the preparation of
these cruelties- In my judgment there
is no ground for thinking so. 1t was
race faction and creed faction driven
TO the highest point in the most cor
rupt and most horrible form which
brought upon the wretched Armenians
these horrible suffcring5.
IF you ask why we have not inter
fered, can only answer for England
hat h1I 7
may call annoyances, in the Selling of
customs here and there but when you
are dealing with the rising of whole
fanatical population against popula-
zion with whom they have been at
bitter enmity for ages, and who are
situated in mountains far removed
from the seashore, you are deceiving
yourselves il you imagine that Eng
lands arm, long as it is, could have
done anything in mitigation. Nothing
but military usurpation could have
done it, and England does not possess
the power of military usurpation at
that distance.
MIR. Gladstone wrote letter that
England could cope with five or six
Sultans. That was a most ilI-judged
and rash observation. If the Sultan
would meet us on the open, undoubu-
edly we could cope with five or six
Sultans. But it is not worth arguing
the possibility of England occupying
these inaccessible provinces.
II am not bound to answer the dues-
ton why Europe did not intervene I
say confidently that none of the pow
ers wished to interfere, and l believe
that their view is that. with patience,
the Sultan's prestige, which is the only
power left in the country, will ulti-
mately re-establish order and allow in
dustry and commerce to take their
hof &c hni
view of it, and it is our duty to give
the Sultan time. 1t is not for me to
pass Judgment on that view, but no
other remedy is suggested. 1t is some
encouragement to find that already
some degree of order is being restored.
If you do not act with the great pow
ers you must act against them, and
produce calamities far more awful and
terrible than the Armenian atrocities. ~