Evening journal., 1896-02-01
SALISBURY APOLOGIES
Excuses For England's Attitude
Toward Armenia.
TEL SULTAN NEEDS MORE TIME.

The British Premier Believes In the Mon
rec Doctrine As He Understands 1.-THE
speech RoundIy Criticised by the Liberal
London Press.
LONDON, Feb. 1.-The banquet OF the
Nonconformist- Unionist association at the
Hotel Metropole was the occasion for an
address by tho Marquis Of salisbury,
prime minister and secretary Of state for
foreign affairs.
In the course Of his remarks he said,
with reference to Nenezuela
~ have been held up as the denouncer
OF tho 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 rule of
policy in the strongest and most distinct
terms
But when ! stated in that dispatch
and reiterate now that as a rule of policy
we are the entire advocates Of the Monroe
doctrine we mean the Monroe doctrine as
President Monroe understood It, IN that
sense you viii not find any more convinced
supporters than we are.
Lord Salisbury then turned abruptly to
the Armenian question, and ho rcproach-
ed the religious communities with labor.
ing under mistake when they supposed
that England had bound herself IN honor
60 succor the Armenians, which means %
90 TO war with the sultan In order to
force him TO govern the Armenians well.
The Berlin treaty, Lord Salisbury said,
merely bound the sgnatory powers that II
tho sultan promulgated certain reforms
they would watch over the execution Of
those reforms Nothing more He did
not think any one could interpret that as
an understanding to 60 60 war. AS 70 tho
Cyprus convention, Lord Salisbury con
tinued, 1t contains no trace Of an under
taking to interfere in behalf Of the sui
tan's subjects.
II was concerned in the drafting Of both
these conventions, Lord Salisbury said,
"and nothing would have induced me to
pledge my country TO such desperate un-
dertaking
Sultans Promised Reforms.
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 gov
ernment in two months.
"They require time to work out, " the
speaker went on to say. "They would re-
quire time in civilized community, and
much more so in a savage and fanatioal
community. / hope they will have beneh-
cent effect as time progresses. "
Lord Salisbury then continued by say
ing:
" Meantime, by spreading among the
Turks the feeling that their dominion was
threatened these reforms have unfortu-
nately led 20 the preparation of horrors
which can only be compared with the days
Of Genghis Khan and Tamerlane.
Il am aware that many influential poo
| pie aver that this was done by the sultan
and his government with set purpose. Ny
own opinion is that the sultans govern.
ment is weak, wretched, impotent and
| powerless, but it is dream to imagine
that he ordered the preparation Of thos'
/ cruelties In my Judgment there Is n,
| ground for thinking SO. It was race fac
| ton and creed faction driven to the high
! est point ia their most corrupt and mos
1 horrible form which brought upon th,
wretched Armonians these terrible suffer
ings
"If you ask why we have not interiered
| | can only answer for England thatw,
could have threatened what / may call an
noyances in seizing OF customs here and
| there, but when you are dealing with the
rising of o whole fanaticai population
against population with whom they have
been at bitter enmity for ages and who
are situated in mountains far removed
from the soashore you are deceiying your
selves If you imagine TINT England's arm
| long as it is, could have done anything in
/ mitigation. Nothing but q military oc
/ cupation could have dono it, and England
/ does not possess the power for military cc
cupation at that distance.
An Answer to Gladstone.
"Mr. Gladstone wrote in letter tia
| England could cope with five or six Tur
| keys. That was most i'll judged anl
/ rash observation. II the sultan would
meet us on the open sen. undoubtedly w'
/ could cope with five or six sultans Blu
it is not worth arguing the possibility Q
England occupying these inaccessible
/ provinces.
" I am not bound 20 answer the question
why Europe did not Interfere. / say con
ndently that none Of the powers wished t'
| Interfere and 7 believe their view is that
with patience, the sultan's prestige, whicl
is the only power left in the country, vii
/ ultimately ne establish order ana allow In
dustry and commerce to take their usua
secure course. That is their view, and b
is our duty TO give the sultan time. 1t i
not for me 60 pass Judgment on that view
but no other remedy hns been suggested
IT is some encouragement TO find that al
ready some degree Of order is being re
stored.
s'If you do not act with the great pow
ers. you must act against them, and pro
| duce calamities far more awful and terri
bio than the Armenian atrocities
In conclusion, Lord Salisbury referred
to the recent patriotic demonstrations il
the colonies in the face Of the Threatened
foreign complications and said
'I caro- not how much we are isolated
we are united. An example has been sc
which win shed n henefCent light on th
latest generations Of Enelishmon
AS he finished his address and resumeI
his scat he was greeted with loud and pro
longed cheers.
Lord HalsbuIy, the lord chancellor
Lord George Hamilton, secretary Of stat
for India Mr.. Ritchie, president Of tn
board Of trade, and other members of tn
government We're also guests Of the asso
citation.
Lord Salisbury, at the opening Of hi