The Dickinson press., 1896-10-31
SERIOUS IN TURKEY
AN OUTBREAK MAY OCCUR AT ANY
MOMENT.
Seeing That the Powers Are Really
in Earnest and That an Under.
standing Between Russia, France
and Great Britain Means Decisive
Action, the Porte In Desperation
May Order . Wholesale Massacre.


COnstantinople, Oct. 28-The report
that trouble of a serious nature u
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, it is but right to state
once more that everything points to
further and very serious trouble pre-
pairing on all sides throughout the
Turkish empire. The ball was set roll
ing on Wednesday last, when the sui
tan signed two trades, levying poll
tax of 5 piasters per head on all Mus
sulmans and increasing the taxes on
sheep, public works and education by
l to 1-2 per cent, the funds so raised
to be devoted to military 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
danger that the arming Of the Mus
sulmans was certain to create, and
pointing out generally the critical sit
uatton of affairs in the Turkish en-
pire. The large purchases of arms
have already been made and the
danger increases hourly.
The porte to-day sent a reply to the
collective note of the ambassadors. As
usual, however, it was an evasive an
swer, and in substance simply stated
that the money derived from the addi-
tiOnal taxes was only intended to COM
plete the armament of the mustaphfus
or 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 con-
sist Of the nizam, or regular army,
and its effective reserve, the redif, or
lGndwehr, and the mustaphfus already
referred to. Conscripts in Turkey
serve six years in the nizam, four
with the colors and two in the reserve;
they then serve eight years in the re-
diff, four in the first-class and four in
the second. Then they complete their
twenty years service by serving six
years in the mustaphfus.
A Chisis Near.
The action of the Turkish govern
ment in completing the armament Of
the mustaphfus indicates that the EN-
pire Is facing a situation which may
necessarily call forth oil the military
forces at its disposal, and it also indi-
Gates 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 affairs
brought about by his maladministra-
ton, and that seeing that the powers
are really In earnest and that an un-
derstanding between Russia, France
and Great Britain means decisive ac-
tion, he is by these armaments practi-
cally threatening wholesale massa-
ere 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 q soothing influence
upon Abdul Hamid This Is the finan-
cial situation. 1t is about as bad as
it possibly can be. All negotiations
upon the part of the Turkish govern
ment for temporary loan have failed,
and the condition Of the treasury is
one of utter helplessness. On top Of
this, the price Of bread has risen 40
per cent and bids fair to rise still high
er as the price Of wheat goes up. This
has decidedly aggravated the prevail
ing distress and its consequent discon.
tent. The police continue making ar
rests and it is understood that many
more bombs have been found.
In Armenia the greatest apprehen-
sion exists. The echoes Of the recent
massacre in the city Of Egin are just
reaching here in spite Of the efforts
made by the porte to suppress any
thing but the official news.
The Latest Massacres.
Boston, Oct. 28.-Advices from Has.
poot, Eastern Turkey, received in Bos-
ton confirms dispatches to the Associ-
ated Press in regard to the extent aud
barbarity Of the recent massacre at
Egin. These advices state that many
of the dead were left in the streets
for days as the food for dogs, and
large numbers were thrown into the
Euphrates. The bodies were seen
floating down the river forty and fifty
miles below the city. In some cases
whole families were obliterated. Ex-
act statistics, Of course, cannot be
given now, but it is feared that 1000
is an underestimate. All the testi-
mony at hand concurs in showing that
the massacre was official and that it
was wholly without reason.