Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-09-08
ABOUT TO CEASE.
Reign Of Sultan Nearing the End-An I'm
portant Conference.

Berlin. Sept THE conferences
which have taken place between the
Car and the Emperor and their ac-
companying Russian and German dip
lomats. which at first We're alleged to
be devoid of anything more impor-
tant than mere ceremonial converse
tons are now reported to have taken
the character of initiating new con
cert of the powers, which is to have
hearing of the utmost importance
upon the future events in Turkey
1t is not known definitely who or
isinated the proposal. but ii is mat
ter of positive knowledge in Berlin that
Prince Hohenlohe. the imperial chan
cellor. and Count Won Osten Sacken,
the Russian ambassador to Germany.
are discussing Il plan the purpose of
which is to place the sultan under the.
tutelaSe of the ambassadors of the
powers in Constantinople. who will b.
empowered to control the sultan's Sc
lection of ministers, also his appoint
mcntS of provincial governors.
The settlement Of the troubles in
Crete upon the basis of European stl-
rcrNision appears to have been the
Keynote of this scheme, which at least
would maintain the nominal integrity
Of Turkey ana for time enable tn
powers to escape being dragged into
European war over the division of
the spells Of the Ottoman empire
Practically the foreign ambassadors
are already treating Turkey as a GOV
eminent existing wholly upon suffer
ance, but they do not take the re-
sponsibilties which ought to be asso-
c:ated with the situation. Only bare
proposals have been heard of outside
of the circle which is formulating the
scheme, but the plan is doubtless full
of difficulties in the way of its work
ing smoothly one thing. however, is
certain, and that is that both the en-
courage of the kaiser and that of the
car are convinced that they can no
longer rest content upon mere diplo-
matte circumstances to the porte, and
it is well understood that family in
1uences upon the car at Copenhagen
and similar influences upon the kaiser
at Balmoral have become insistent be-
yond precedent in favor of an effective
stoppage of the horrors in Turkey.
These influences. it is believed, may
have the most potent of all in deter
mining the two emperors upon the
course which it is now proposed to
pursue.
Diplomatic advices received from
Constantinople are such as to cause
We'll grounded fears here that very
much worse things than have already
occurred III Constantinople may hap
pen in that city before the ambassa-
doris are able to arrange for armed in
terVention to suppress disorders; that
the suhan's palace clique, learning
that the sultan's reign is about to
cease may organize massacre upon
a very much larger scale than hereto
fore and which will involve many
other persons than ArmenianS as its
victims
The reports that the British. French
and Italian warships in Turkish
waters have been reinforced while the
German warships have not, have ex-
cited widespread feeling of discon-
tent, which is being freely discussed |
i'll the newspapers regardless of their
political bias Despite the activity of |
the other powers in augmenting their
naval strength in Turkish waters, the |
i'Aih Any VI NcfiiidfS nave up 10 TINS |
time taken no steps to increase the |
strength and number of the German |
war vessels there, but now, apparently |
soaded by the utterances of the press
into doing something. they have or
dered the training ship Gneisenau to |
Smyrna and the gunboat Ersatz to re
place the old and worn out Lorely on |
the ConStantinople station
These measures are exceedingly |
poor, indeed. little better than none at |
all. if Germany is to figure in the in |
tervention of the powers in front OF !