Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1896-10-20
NO MERCY FOR The SULTAN
W. E, Gladstone Writes Another of His
Characteristic Letters.
ENTHUSIASTIC ARMENIAN sYMPATRlzERS.
Mass Meeting I'm London In Which
Peers and Clergy nnd Noncon-
formist Leaders Take nm
Active Part.

LONDON, Oct. list. James hall was
tonight packed with an audience of 5000
people, a large proportion of whom were
women, to take part in the demonstration
of protest against the Armenian massacre.
Nearly 1000 people applied for admission
to the hall. The bishop of Rochester pre-
sided instead OF the duke OF Westminster,
who wrote regre;ting that ill-health COM
PEELED him to be absent. The earl Of
Portsmouth, the earl OF Meath, Baron Alb
niger, Baron Rendel, Viscount oxenbridge,
the earl of Stamford the bishop of Win
chester, the bishop of Hereford, the bishop
of Aberdeen Rt. Hon. James Bryce Rev.
Harry r.. Drew and Mrs. Drew (Mr. Glad
stones daughter), Canon Wherefore,
Canon MacColl, Rev. DR.. John Clifford, Rev.
DR.. John Guinness Rogers and a number of
members OF the House of Lords wearing
their insignia sat upon the platform. Ten
peers, twenty-eight bishops and a number
of deans and nonconformist ministers wrote
expressing their regret at their inability to
attend the meeting.
Intense enthusiasm was manifested by
those present, especially during the reading
Of a letter from Mr.. Gladstone. In this
letter Mr.. Gladstone expressed the hope
that TIE meeting would worthily crown
months which, he said were without
parallel during his political life. The great
object. Mr. Gladstone said further was to
strengthen Lord Salisbury's hands to
stop the series OF massacres, which
were probably still unfin shed, and TO pr vide
against their renewal. AS he believed that
Lord Salisbury would use his power for the
best. he objected in the strongest manner to
abridging Lord Salisbury's discretion by lay
ing down this or that as things which he
ought not to do. 1t was Wild paradox,
without the support OF reason or history. TO
say the enforcement OF treaty rights TO stop
systematic massacre. together with effective
security against Great Britain's abusing
them for selfish purposes. w5uld provoke the
hostilties OF one or more OF the powers.
To advertise beforehand in the ears CT the
great assassin that Great Britain would cut
down what the most backward of the six
powers think sufficient would be the aban
donment of prudence and would be to doom
the whole movement to disappointment.
The concert OF Europe, said Mr.. Gladstone,
was valuable and important, but such an
announcement would certainly be followed
by its failure.
Mr.. Gladstone's letter concluded as fol-
lows: 81 have had special opportunities OF
knowing OF what materials the sultan with
all his seeming obstinacy Is made. From
deplorable and disgraceful causes he
triumphs for the moment, but for the mo-
ment only. In the face OF civilized man
kind he has recorded the final condemnation,
first and foremost OF himself. but next and
no less effectually OF those who have been
his willing. brutal and sanguinary tools"
dispatch from Paris to the Daily News
says that an Armenian correspondent sends
information that a terrible massacre oc-
CURED at Van, In Armenia, on October %.
No details are given.
A Berlin dispatch to the Standard re-
ports that the Frankfurte: Zeitung has a
dispatch from Constantinople which sayc
negotiations are on foot between the pow
ers and the Porte for the abrogation OF
certain portions OF the Dardanelles treaty.
The sultan. is not averse to the project,
says this dispatch.
The powers will guarantee protection 20
the sultan and the integrity OF the Turkish
empire If the measure Is carried out with
out fresh atrocities.
The meeting unanimously adopted resolu-
tions expressing adherence of the Armenian
massacres and in support Of the British gov
ernment in its efforts to stop them, appealing
to the powers to cooperate with that object
and asking all nations and creeds to assist
in the succor of the helpless and starving
Armenians
The marquis OF Salisbury, replying to n
correspondent who had expressed the hope
that the government would make known its
actual position on the Armenian question,
says he regrets he is not In a position to
speak freely on the subject, as, il he could,
he might remove some of the approximations,
but, he continues, "as Great Britain is not
taking isolated action at Constantinople
there are obvious objections to his speaking
freely, which would not exist II the govern
ment were acting independently of European