Omaha daily bee., 1896-01-29

! THE UNITED STATES AND TCRKEr.
! Both branches or congress having
passed resolutions appealing TO tho
Christian powers of Europe which
signed the treaty OF Bcriin-Great
1 Britain. Germany. Russia, France. Aus
tria and Italy--to compel Turkey to
comply with the conditions and re-
qulrcmcnts Of the treaty. the earnest
and considcrate protest of this nation
against the terrible outrages and
crimes In the Turkish empire has been
formally uttered. 1t remains to be
seen whether or not 1t will have any
effect. but in any event we have gone
to the full extent Of our duty as an on,
lightcncd, humane and Christian peo-
pie, and though our appeal fail to pro.
tlucc the desired result. as II Is to be
apprchcndcd it will. we shall be war
rantcd In feeling that we have done
all we can do. consistently with our
policy in international affairs. to put
stop to the murder and pillagc of
Christians In the Ottoman dominions.
1t is Fortunate for the peace of the
United States and for the maintenance
Of the timc-honorcd policy of avoiding
entanglcmcnts in European affairs that
there are conservative men in congress
whose influence Is great enough to over
come the hot-hended appeals of eXtrem-
lists and to subordinate passion to rea-
son. Else the United States might
speedily be involved in the gravest com.
plications. A prominent senator de-
cared in the course of the discussion
Of the resolutions rela ting to affairs in
Turkey that our government should
send a fleet through the Dardanelles
and up to Constantinople with Il de-
mand for the protection of Americans
within the sultan's dominions. This
sort of talk is neither wise nor brave,
though 1t may appear TO some to be
both. In the first place, before Ameri
can war ships could attempt to sail
up the Dardanellcs our government
would have to obtain the consent of
the powers which have agreed to keep
that passageway to Constantinoplc
closed, unless we are prepared to en-
counter the hostility of those powers
to such Il proceeding, and it is alto
gether improbable that we could secure
their consent. In the second place,
passing the Dardanelles would not be
II holiday event for any fleet we might
send for that purpose. An attempt to
do so would of course be regarded by
Turkey as an act of war and be vigOr.
ously resisted. Every foot of the Oar
danelles is guarded by formidable forti-
1ications equipped with modern arnla-
ment. 1t is more than likely that our
ships would be sunk or blown up III
the attempt to pass the powerful for
tresses. 1t would be n most perilous
and probably disastrous undertaking.
Another instance of Incorporate zeal
was furnished by the member of the
house who urged that our government
should give the Turkish minister his
passports and terminate diplomatic re-
lations with Turkey. "That kind of a
protest" he declared, twill mean some
thing" 1t would doubtless mean the
withdrawal of the protection that the
Turkish government is giving. accord
ing to the report of our minister at Con-
stantinOple, to American citizens in the
Turkish empire and the rejection of our
claims for indemnity for losses of prop
erty sustained by American mission
aries. 1t could not have any result
beneficial to the unfortunate Armenian
subjects of the Turkish government.
1t is through our diplomatic relations
that we have been enabled to secure
protection for our citizens in Turkey.
Suspend these relations under existing
and the life and prop
erty of every American in that EN-
pire would be put in peril and no good
be done anybody.
The formal protest of the United
States against the Outrages upon the
Christian subjects of Turkey has been
made and there we should stop unless
the pledge of protection to our citizens
is violated. In that case the executive
will take such action as the
demand, with the assur-
ance of the support of congress and the
country In the meanwhile there will
be Il universal feeling of interest in the
reception accorded our protest by the
European powers.