Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-01
POWERS NOT TO INTERVENE
Cord Salisbury's Announcement as to
Armenia.
Reforms of the Sultan to Be Left to Be
Developed Without Interior
ence-EngIand's Position.

A. the unionist banquet in London last
night, after paying respects to the Monroe
doctrine, Lord Salisbury turned abruptly
to the Armenian question, and he reproach-
ed the religious communities with laboring
under a mistake, when they supposed that
England had bound herself in honor to sue
cor the Armenians, which means to go 10
war with the sultan in order to force MN
to govern the Arnenians we'll. The Berlin
treaty, Lord Salisbury said, merely bound
the signatory powers that If the 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 undertaking to
go to war AS TO the Cyprus convention,
Lord Salisbury continued, it contains no
trace of an undertaking to interfere in be-
half of the subjects of the sultan.
Il was concerned in the drafting of both
these conventions" Lord Salisbury said,
"and nothing would have induced me to
pledge my country to such a desperate I'M
dertaking"
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
err ent in two months.
They require time to work out" the
quire time in civilized community. and
much more so in savage and fanatical
community. 1 hope they will have a
bensfcent effect as time progresses.
Lord Salisbury then continued by saying:
Meantime, by spreading among the
Turks the feeling that their dominion was
threatened, these reforms have unfortun-
ately led to the preparation of horrors
which can only be compared with the days
of Gonghis Khan and Tamerlane. l am
aware that many influential people aver
that this was done by the sultan and his
government with set purpose. My own
opinion is that the sultar's government is
weak. wretched impotent and poUerless;
but it is a dream to imagine that he or
dered the preparation of those cruelties.
In my judgment there Is no ground for
thinking so. 1t was race faction and creed
faction driven to the highest point in their
nest corrupt and most horrible form which
brought upon the wretched Armerians
these terrible sufferingS.
If you ask why have not interfered
can only answer for England that we could
have threatened what I may call annoy
ances IN the selling of customs here and
there, but wlen you are dealing with the
rising Of a whole fanatical population
against a population with whom they have
been at bitter enmity for ages, and who are
situated in mountains far removed from the
seashore, You are deceiving yourselves il
you giue that England's ARM long as 1t
Is, could have done anything In mitigation.
Nothing but military occupation could
have done Il, and England does not possess
the power for military occupation at that
distance.
''Mr. Gladstone wrote a letter that Eng
land could cope with five or six Turkeys.
That was a most ill-judged and rash obser-
Walton If the sultan would meet US on the
open sea, undoubtedly we could cope with
five or six sultans. But 1t is not worth argu-
ing the possibility of England occupying
these inaccessible provinces.
Il am not bound to answer the question
why Europe did not interfere. I say con-
fidently that none of the powers wished to
Interfere, and l believe their view is that.
with patience. the sultan's prestige, which
IS the only power left in the country will ul-
timately re-establish order and allow indus.
try and commerce to take their usual secure
course
THAT is their view. and 1t Is our duty to
give the sultan time. 1t Is not for me to
pass judgment on that view, but no other
remedy has been suggested. 1t is some en-
enlargement to find that already some de-
gree of order is being restored.
IF you do not act with the great powers,
you must act against them, and produce
calamittes far more awful and terrible than
the Armenian atrocities"
In conclusion. Lord Salisbury referred to
the recent patriotic demonstra tons in the
colonies in the face of the threatened foreign
complications, and said:
Il care not how much we are isolated
IL we are united An example has been set
which will shed q benefcent light on the
latest generations of Englishmen"
AS he finished his address and resumed his
seat. he was greeted with loud and pro-
lOnged cheers
Lord Halsbury, the lord chancellor; Lord
George Hamilton, secretary of state for
IT dia: Mr.. Ritchie, president of the board of
trade. and other members of the govern
ment were also guests of the association.
Lord Salisbury, at the opening of his
speech, referred to the recent Transvaal
crisis as throwing a lurid light upon what
might happen IL home rule were granted to
Ireland. As soon the Transvaal was in
trouble he pointed out. it applied to the for
etgn powers, instead Of to England for sup
port.