The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-12-10
REDUCED TO VASSALAGE.
That To Be The Fate OF Turkeys
Sultan.
AN AGREEMENT OF THE POWERS
HAS BEEN REACHED.
And All Is Ready for Action-Partition of
forms Must be Carried Out-Force Will

And All Is Ready for Act1On-Part1t1on OIL
the Empire Not Thought of but Re-
forms Must be Carried Out-Force Will
be Used If Necessary.
London, December s.-The deadlock
which has been the foulest reproaoh to
modern civilization and to the humanity
of the age is broken at last. So also Is
that contemplate thing which the world
has known during the past year as the
Concert of Europe. In the place OF both,
for they both mean the same thing, there
has been created new and living poten-
tiality, which, while it will not under
take to avenge the innocent blood al
ready shed. will speedily strip the guilty
of all further power of outrage and mas
sacre.
The Turk is to be coerced. The Sui
tan is to be red uced in fact il not actual
" in name to vassalags. His fate will be
made known to him probably before the
end of the present week.
Russia, France and Great Britain have
decreed it. Should he resist, or fail tc
bow at once to the inevitable, then the
combined. fleets of those three powers will
enforce their b chest.
Such, in brief, Is the infinite welcome
news which will bring relief and sense
OF restored selfrespect to the whole
Christian world. 1t is not officially an
nouncsd yet. 1t may even be discredited
in certain quarters for few hours as
premature. Nevertheless I am prepared
to affirm it without reservation.
1t was not until yesterday that the full
oonsummation was reached. Russin.
France and Great Britain arrived at a
substantial agreement on plan of action
last week. There remained the necessity
of getting the consent of the other thres
powers which were signatories of the
Berlin convention. Italy and Germany
agreed without demur. Austria hasitat-
ed long,and it was not until after yester-
days emergency cabinet council in Lon
don, which discussed and approved the
whole plan. that the Austrian ambassa-
dor notified Lord salisbury of the rather
unwilling assent of his government that
the Russian, French and British fleets
shall force the Dardanelles, if necessary,
in the execution of the new policy.
1t is impossible, at this moment, to fur
nish the exact details of the solution Of
the Turkish problem which has been
agreed upon. 1t may. however, ba par
TALLY defined In a negative way. 1t pro-
vides nothing SO radical as division of
the Turkish empire. Such project has
not been for a moment considered. The
integrity of Turkey will be substantial
ly maintained.
The terms of the new policy have prac-
tically been dictated by Russia. 1t came
about finally that the English and other
representations brought home to the
Czar's government a realization of the
fact that the policy of inaction for which
it is chiefly responsible, in the face of the
accumulattng horrors of Turkish mis-
rule, had become intolerable. Even
French influence has been for some time
strongly in favor of some form of inter-
vention. Russia eventually yielded in
principle, but the discussion of ways and
means has occupied nearly three months.
There are two or three versions in
diplomatic circles of the policy at last
decided upon. This one:
'sThat Russia shall occupy the north
eastern corner formed by the Bosphorus
and the Black Sea and extending to a
point about hslt way downEtbe Bospho-
rus; that Corstantinople and the Dar-
danelles shall be placed under European
protection, but shall remain under the
rule of the Sultan, the forts at the OAR
danelles being dismantled AID the pas
sage becoming entirely free. No further
change is suggested in regard to the in
tsarity of the Turkish empire. T"
This includes also, European supervis-
ion of some of the Sultan 3 appointments:
Bot l believe this assumption of virtual
Russian domination is somewhat too
sweeping. Some such plan as that Is
said to have been advocated by NJ. Nelld-
off, the Russian am bassador at Constan-
tinople, who, since the death OF M. Lo-
banof, is the ablest man in the service
of the Gar with regard to the Eastern
question.
Two things may be confidently assumed
regarding the modus yiyendi or what
ey3r the new agreement between the
Powers may be termed. First, that sub
stantial guarantees of good government
for all the races in Turkey shall be pro-
yided; second, that Russia shall retain
her practical mastery of the situation in
the Sultan's domain.
The terms of agreement, about which
| have positive information, do not seem
to indicate an intention to summon amy
new conference of the Powers for the re-
vision of the Berlin convention Russia,
France and England have simply agreed
to com Eel the Sultan to adopt radical re-
forms under joint supervision of the
Powers and they have asked and OBJ
tanned the consent of the other three
powers to the sending of the fleets of the
new trumvirats through the straits If
necessary to enforce their demands.
Orders have already been given to the
British, Russian and French squadrons
in the Leyant to assem- bla at ths en-
trance to the Dsrdanelles, and to the
Russian Black Sea feet TO prepare to en-
ter the Bosphorus in the eventHofHthe Sui
tan Is failure to yield Immediate to the
formal demands.
These demands are in the hands Of M.
Nelido, who left St. Petersburg, today
for ConstantinUple. He will consult Win
the Erench and British a IN bassadora
there on his arrival and they will make q
joint representation to the Sultan with
the least possible delay. What the re-
sponse will be is matter of pure conjec.
ture If A bdul Hamid is in saue mood
it is to be expected he will submit with
the best grace possible. If not, then
there may be final great tragedy ai
Constantinople, which could not fail tc
compel a mora radical and permanent