The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1896-04-10
RUSSIA'S CHURCH
1t Is Said TO Be Responsible for
the Expulsion of Turkish
Missionaries,
Whose Work Has Not Been More
Agreeable to 1t Than to
Turks.
Mr. Knapp Most Active ant
Therefore Most Dangerous.
French Protest.

New YORK, April 10.-The Associated
Press correspondent at Constantinople,
commenting upon the proposed expul.
sion of missionaries from Turkey, says:
The affair may be summed up i'll the
statement that there is no doubt that
Russia and Turkey are alarmed at the
effect of the work of the missionaries
in Armenia and elsewhere, and that it
has practically been decided that they
are to be expelled under some excuse or
other in order to make way for priests
of the Russian church. This is believed
to be the basis of the understanding
(or secret treaty. arrived between Rus
sia and Turkey, when the fleets Of the
powers had assembled in the bay of
Salonica, and the question OF coerclng
Turkey by display of naval strength
before Constantinople had been almost
decided upon. According to explana.
tions furnished here Of the sultan's
present attitude towards the mission.
aries, the threatening attitude Of the
powers at that time threw Turkey into
the arms of Russia, and the latter,
After Debating Her Terms,
caused the break up of the European
com bination against the Turkish en-
plre, and by refusing to take part in
any such demonstration, and by threat
ening to protect the sultan by force of
arms if necessary Hence the assem-
bling of the Russian Black Sea squad.
ron in headlines for immediate action,
and the gathering of Russian army
corps on the frontiers of Asiatic Tur-
key. Russia, it is now asserted,
cleverly took advantage of the despera.
ton of the sultan to obtain virtual
protectorate over Armenia.
Such a step openly taken would in all
probability have led to serious trouble.
Therefore it was decided to begin the
Russianizng Of Asiatic Turkey by get.
ting rid of the Protestant and Catholic
missionaries, and to substitute priests
of the Russian church for them. A
plausible pretext, however, had to be
found for such an important move, and
it was agreed that the work Of the mis-.
sionaries should be pointed to as being
of disquieting nature, and as likely
to incite the Armenians to rebellion.
This was to be followed by closely
watching the most active and Jealous
Of the missionaries, and to prepare the
groundwork for charges against them
of encouraging the Armenians to re.
volt against the sultan's rule.
sANhtspsred the Missionaries Did 1t.
During the last series of massacres in
Armenia, it was continually claimed
that the uprisings were the work OF the
Armenian revolutionary agents; lately,
however, since the collapse of the pro-
posed naval demonstration as a result
of the secret agreement arrived at be-
tween Turkey and Russia, it has been
whispered" in the right quarters that
the missionaries were at the back of
the revolutionary agents; that to the
missionaries should be traced the
real cause of the uprising, and that
upon them should fall the blame for
the bloodshed by the Turks III sup
pressing disorder" Such an argument
is classed as being well worthy of Turk
ish diplomacy and Eastern cunning, in
general, and it could not fail to excite
the Turks against the missionaries.
Knapp Was the Most Active.
Finally it was decided to begin with
the Rev. George P. Knapp, who has
probably been the most jealous of all
the active workers in the cause Of
Christianity in Asiat.c Turkey and he
was eventually openly charged with in.
citing the Armenians Of Bitlis to re-
volt, and was to have been tried by the