New-York tribune., 1896-12-30
THE TURKISH SETTLEMENT.

\ definite scheme for the settlement oi IN"
Turkish question is said at last To have been
agreed upon II was formulated by the Russian
Ambassador at Const Intnople after careful con
! ference with his home Government ana Is
| therefore acceptable to that Power. which has
! all along dominated the situation. No 0ther
! Power dlssrnts from it. and the only detail re-
| mainng 10 be arranged is the date on when
thc new order of things shall he put III force
That will probably he soon. for there is n" con
ceivabc reason for delay \ week or two hence.
therefore. may see the practical end of ott"-
man rule in Europe: for that is what VI. Nell
,o!fs proposal amounts 10. All IN" revenues of
the Empire are 10 be in the hands OF the POW
crs both for collection and for disbursement
the Turkish Government receiving merely
fixed allowance for maintenance of lis various
establishments: and all the Turkish Minister,
ale 10 be such ns are approved by the Powers
Other details do not matter. These are enough.
The hand that controls the finances ana ap-
points The Ministers of u country * the hand
that rules that country: and in the ease oi
Turkey that hand hcnccforfh. If this scheme he
executed. will be- the hand Of the Powers. win
Russia predominant among them.
The Sultan is reported 10 have said the other
day that he would not consent 10 any such
scheme "IIc might he the last Of tl" 'aliph-;
he would not bc Il second Khcdvc. That j. Il
noteworthy saying. sufficiently cpig.ainnatlc 7"
take place along with "The Guard dies but
never surrenders" and other good things that
might have been said but were not. But hc
cannot help himself: unless. indeed by abdicat
Ing his throne The military and naval re-
sources of the Empire could not resist success
fully for n day the determined onset or the Pow
crs nor is il conceivable that such resistance
will be attempted. The Sultan realizes his i'll
ability 10 stand against the will of Europe. II"
knows that for many years the ottoman I'm
pre In Europe has existed only Oh sucranc" OF
the Powers. 1t has owed 10 them OH more than
one occasion It's reScur from destruction IT
now they decree that ii shall cease 10 exist. or
shall be transformed into Il mere puppct of their
WILL there is no course but 10 obey. II may he
hard. 1t may he hun!ating. But II is kiSnri.
Perhaps the most interesting feature Of the
practical execution Of this scheme Will be- the
opening Of the Dardanclles and Bo>porus. That,
it Is assumed. will have 10 b" done pretty
promptly, as 10 make at tonstanlnopc n
showing Of force sufficient To Overawe any re-
calctrant elements Of Government or populacc.
Now, the Treaty Of Paris of lNJG confirmed
the Sultan's right "to maintain the principle in
'varably established as the ancient rule of his
Empire, in virtue Of which it has at all times
"bccn prohibited for the ships of war Of foreign
"Iowers to enter the Straits" and indeed bound
him TO maintain that prohibition The Treaty
of London in 1871 reafrmcd his right 10 keep
the Straits closed. but gave him permission Ia
open them in time Of peace 10 the war>hips of
friendly Powers. So the case stands to-day.
Now. ii Is an essential principle Of international
law that no Power can rid itself OF treaty obli-
cations change them I'm any way except
with permission of the other contracting parties.
The question then arises whether such pcrrnis-
sion can properly be granted otherwise than in
such European Congress as that in which the
treaty was originally made If 1t cannot. the
time for calling such Congress seems to be AZ
hand. II is more probable. however. that such
Congress will not be deemed necessary. but
that the whole business will he settled by the
Council of Ambassadors AT Constantinople