The San Francisco call., 1896-12-22

having examined with care all the in
stances which have occurred during this
century of peoples claiming independence
by right of revolt. The opening lines OF
the report read that Congress at its last
session, after long and patient considera-
ton, adopted with practical unanimity
the expressed sentiment that the time had
come for resuming Intervention with
Spain for the inde pendence of Cuba. Spain
having declined to listen to any represen-
tation founded on an understanding be-
tween herself and the insurgents, and
Congress having pledged itself to friendly
in tervention, the only question that re-
mains to be decided is the nature of the
next step to be taken with proper regard
to the customs and usages of nations.
With little further pream bic, the report
then refers as its first instance, showing
that the modern precedents of European
Intervention where independence was the
issue involved began with Greece in the
struggle which lasted from 1921 until 1927.
The summary of events in this strife
where within a month the rebels got pos
session of all the open country and all the
towns, except so far as they were held by
Turkish garrisons, is told in a graphic
manner. The Sultan called all Mussul-
mans to arms, the Greek patriarchs were
hanged at the doors OF their own churches
in Constantinople. Several prominent
merchants were massacred, several Chris
tians were killed and the Russian Embas-
sador insulted. 1t is shown that no Gov
ernment in Europe sympathized with the
Greek rebels. Instances of the struggle in
which the Greeks fought for independ-
ence were constantly pointed out, but not
until the Pope induced Turkey to
consent to allow her affairs to be discussed
in a general conference did Russia insist
that the Greek insurrection should be in
cluded among the subjects of med iation."
The Turkish Government declared in the
most energetic language that it would
never admit of such interference and
would not make the affairs of Greece q
subject of negotiation with Russia. The
history of that struggle is carried on to the
date on which, the Sultan declining to the
last to permit any mediation between
himself and his devoted subjects, the
three powers of France, England and Rus
sia, on the 5th of July, 1927, united in a
formal treaty, signed in London, which
committed them to interven ton in case
the Sultan should still reject their prof
fered mediation.
Following in regular order, then, in its
details of circumstances in European ma
tions claiming independence on the ground
of the right of revolution, the cases are
mentioned of Belgium against the Neither
lands in 1880, when the King of Holland
was coerced into accepting conditions i'm
posed by the powers upon show OF armed
hostility; in Novem Der. 1882. by the Gov
ernments of France and England. The
coincident rebellion in Poland. in which
the Gear notified the Minister of the new
French King, Louis Philippe, that he
would tolerate no Intervention in Poland
is given attention. Then follows in the
series of European nations claiming jnde-
pendence tie recital of the deposal from
the Hungarian throne of the Haps-
burg dynasty, followed by the elec-
ton of the patriot, Louis Kossuth, as pro-
visional President and the Intervention of
Russia on the ground that if she did not
so intervene Hungary would establish her
independence.
"This precedent" continues the report,
tended to establish the right of every Gov
ernment to intervene in the affair of for
eign States whenever the situation should
tend to endanger its own safety or the
peaceful equilibrium on It's frontier" As
far as known every other Government in
the world tacitly acquiesced In the estab-
lishment OF this precedent. If any Gov
ernment recorded protest it was that OF
the United States, but then the United
States protested only by inference from
the acts and language of the President
The Russian Intervention brought the
wars quickly to an end; before Octo.
Der all resistance was over and when Con-
gress met early in Decemb Der, 1S49, Presi-
dent Taylor's annual message could only
proclaim what would have been American
policy.
Interventions have occurred most con-
spicuously in Spain by France in 1928. in
Portugal by England in 1927, again in
Spain and Portugal in 1916 by England
and France under what was called the
"triple treaty." and many instances of
national interventions in the history of
other States are alluded to, while in 1916
the Intervention in the affairs OF the Otto
man Empire have been so constant as to
create board of Jurisprudence and long
series of treaties On which the existence of
all political systems of Southeastern
Europe seem now TO be more or less en-.
tirely based.
The precedents quoted, the ommittee
considers, make it clear that Europe has
invariably asserted and practiced the
right to interfere. both collectively and