The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-11-22

population has quite forgotten the color
Of money and Il Is little short OF marNel-
lous that the rich European quarter mas
not been sacked by the thousands OF an
soiuteiy destitute Mussulmans, who nun
ger and thirst. not for Christian blood
but FOR meat and drink or money where
with TO buy them.
THE ONLY SALVATION.
The sun reporter has not yet come
across the respectable Turk who does
not admit that the present regime Is
impossible. and that salvation IS only
to be found either in the deposition OF
Abdul Hamid or in the establishment OF
a European commission TO control the
country's finances. Most people. Turkish
and European, now incline 10 the belet
that the latter will be the solution. slr
Edgar Vincent, president OF the lmperlai
Ottoman Bank. is meandering ABOUT
Europe in search OF fnanciers willing 10
advance funds to keep the Turkish gov
ernmental machinery going. Ihe great
hnanciers are shy, but doubtless Sir
Edgar will manage to strike some sort
Of a bargain.
Few people are In a position TO know
the terms offered by the Porte, and fewer
still cherish any hope of permanent bcne-
fit from all this Juggling. Among tHe
skeptlcs is King George OF Greece. VINO
ought to be fairy well Informed on such a
matter. seeing how much he stands TO lose
or gain for himself and his people. Accord
ing 70 the Poster Lloyd, which, Wnicn Is
an usually trustworthy new spaper, ms
Majesty told an Austrian diplomatlst this
week that he had no hope that the prom
ised reforms ia Turkey would be really
carried out. lie added that he was any
thing but reassurec, even as regarded
Crete, and he expected little from any
lrHI.H HH..Ha I.N a
other words. King George thinks tne time
has come for carving up this turkey,
and he Is quite prepared 70 seize his
slice.
Sh0rt-sighted. people. who have been
proceeding in their calculations upon the
assumption that Greece Is too small ana
too poor TO DO anything when the critical
moment arrives viii probably ono Of shese
days wish they had consulted political
ITALIAN FINANCES.
The inquiry ordered by The Marquis ri
Rudini, the Italian Prime Minister, m the
accounts or certain public departments IN
Rome, is revealing a state of affairs
which Is worthy OF COnstautinopie. and
it would not be surprising if the invosti-
SalOn should result i'm the legal prosccu-
ton OF some cX-ministers and exalted
permanent tunctionarieS who are more or
less directly responsible for the scandal
Gus acknowledgement, il not actual sys-
tcmatic corruption.
1t ought not TO be very difficult 10 make
somebody responsible. The late Commits
siouer OF Agriculture, for instance. would
ma n an awkward task 10 Justify the
annual expenditure OF $4,000 during ten
years Tor carpets, seeing that the carpets
now on the floors OF the ministry buud-
ing would probably not fetch a thousand
dollars at auction, and presumably he
Mouid also nave scme difficulty in per-
SuHuihh tAc average householder fnat
Siov was "a fair price TO pay tor a few
pfas5 studs used 90 ornament a mluis-
tcrlal bookcase.
ASTOUNDING EXTRAVAGANCE
ln another department. believed 10 Lo
sisnor Crispis own Foreign Office. 81 600 To-
uOJ was spent in ten yculs iu purchasing
pms. Ihe ordinary mind shrinks from
the strain which would result from an
ehsrt TO calculate the billions OF pins
tNat sum would buy in tine open market.
There Is suspicious smack. too. about
the manner IN which payments 10 railway
contractors We're allowed 10 get INTO ar
relrs. So far as the mudllcl accounts
show there was plenty of money avail
able for railway construction. but the
accounts remained unpaid. apparently
for 10 better reason than 20 entitle the
contractors 10 interest. Wieh tie result
that in one year alone million and Il
half dollars was paid as interest.
some italian newspapers make merry
over these disclosures, while others moro
properly treat them rs sympt0mauc of
the existence OF worse scandals which
may yet be revealed.