The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-27
APPREHENSION IN TURKEY.
There Is Reason to Expect Serious
Developments.

CONSTANTTNOPLE. Oct. 26.-via
Sofia, Bulgaria, Oct 26-The report
that trouble of serious ma
ture is brewing here has
SO often been sent out that
any fresh announcement to that effect
IS looked upon as having little or no
foundation in fact. But in spite Of this
1t is but right to state once more that
everything points to further and very
serious trouble preparing on all sides
throughout the Turkish empire.
The ball was set rolling on Wednes-
cay last when the sultan signed two
trades which were issued the next day,
levying a poll tax of five piastres per
head on all MussulmanS and increasing
the taxes on sheep, public works and
education by / to 1 IL per cent, the
I funds so raised to be devoted to mill
tary purposes.
This caused the representatives Of
the powers to send a collective note TO
the Porte, couched in the strongest
language, calling attention to the dan
ger that the armtng of the MusSulmans
was certain to create and pointing out
generally the critical situation of af-
fairs in the Turkish empire But large
purchases Of arms have already been
made, and the danger increases hourly.
The porte, today, sent reply to the
collective note of the ambassadors.
AS usual, however, 1t was an evasive
answer and in substance simply stated
that the money derived from the addi-
tionaI taxes was only intended to COM
nlete the armament of the mustahf1s OF.
landstrum, the third and last class of
the Turkish army reserves, and to
strengthen the armament of the other
land forces of the sultan which consists
I-uf NiZam, or regular army and it's
active reserve the dedif or landwehr,
ard the mustahfus, already referred to-
e,Sx H.
the Nizam, four with the colors and
two in the reserves; then they serve
eight years in the Redif, four in the
first class and four in the second. Then
they complete their twenty years SER
vice by serving six years in the mus
tahfus.
The action Of the Turkish govern
ment in completing the armament of
the Nustahfus indicates that the en-
pire is facing a situation which may
necessitate the calling forth of all the
| military forces at it's Disposal, and it
also indicates that the situation is the
gravest since the Russo-Turkish war.
Under these circumstances, it Is but
natural that considerable uneasiness
prevails. OF course there is always in
view the probability at least that the
| sultan, by these movements, is simply
seeking to detract the attention of his
subjects from the actual state of af-
falrS Drought ABOUT by MS mal-aQ-
ministration, and that, seeing that the
powers are really in earnest and that
an understanding between Russia and
Great Britain means decisive action,
he is, by these ornaments, practically
threatening wholesale massacre Of
the Christians and announcing that
Turkey will resist to the utmost any
attempt at armed coercion.
Happily there is one feature OF the
crisis which has a soothing influence
upon Abdul Hamid This is the f1nan-
cial situation. 1t is about as bad as
1t possibly can be. All negotiations
upon the part of the Turkish govern
ment for a temporary loan have
failed, and the condition of the treas
ury is one of utter helplessness. On
top of this the price of bread has risen
40 per cent, and bids fair to rise still
higher, as the price Of wheat goes up.
This has decidedly aggravated the pre-
vailing distress and it's consequent
discomfort. The police continue max
ing arrests, and it is understood that
many more bombs have been found
In Armenia the greatest apprehen-