New-York tribune., 1896-01-25
WHAT ENGLAND COULD DO.

Rcsponsibility for the present appalling con-
dition of affairs in the Asiatic provinces OF the
Ottoman Empire must chiefly be laid to Eng
lands charge This is partly because at the
tirnc of the Congress Of Berlin, in 1878. she took
thc leading part in forcing Russia to abandon
the measures which that Power had taken TO
safeguard the lives. property and interests or
the Christian population Of Turkey and partly
also because Great Britain alone Of all the Pow
ers in Europe possesses an cfiicacious and facile
means Of compelling the Sultan to comply with
her wishes This means-hc only one Of which
Abdul IIamid stands in drcad-Lord Salisbury
has hitherto declined to employ or even to
threaten and until he does so all his professions
Of Goodwill and sympathy for the miserable Ar
menans must be regarded as empty talk The
state Of Armenia is far from showing any signs
Of improvement. If we hear less OF bloodshed
and massacre than formerly, 1t Is because all
means Of regular communication have Deeh
stoppcd by the Sublime Porte and the Official
information is invariably optimistic, If not alto
gcthrr false 1t would seem. however, that the
Armenians are holding out successfully in GER
tain places on the other hand. the Imperial
troons are SO badly paid and fed that In order to
keep body and soul together they are compelled
to plundcr and pillage-the Armenian shops IN
the various towns and villages being invariably
the first object OF their attack. How long the
present state Of anarchy and confusion in the
provinces Of Asaic Turkey Is to last rests en-
tircly with Lord Salisbury.
What the Sultan fears more than anything
else is that the English Government may be
induced 10 give countonance and support To the
Grand Shercef Of Mecca sufficiently to warrant
the latter's renuncIation of his temporal ale
glance 10 the Sultan. The claims Of the Turkish
Sultaps 10 exercise spiritual sway over the
whole Of the world and their precnslons to be
descended from the Prophet. are derldcd by the
vast majority Of Mahometans- nowhere
more so than at Mecca and Mcdina-and 1t is
only by maintaining a sort Of temporal Dut ex-
coedinply weak hold upon these sacred cities
that Abdul IIamid is able to keep up and give
color 10 the fiction upon which his prestige with
the mont hristian population of his Empire Is
based Now England has subject to her rule III
India some joNoOoO MahomctanS. as compared
with only 100000 under the Sultans domina-
ton and were she in their interest to acknowl-
edge the independence of Arabia and of the Holy
Cities under the Grand Shereef, ana To prohibit
the landing ~ Turkish troops on the Red Sea
coast of the Yemen which Is in a perpetual state
~ revolt against the Constantnople Govern
ment the Ottoman Empire would receive lis
deaihblow and crumblc 10 pieces. or course the
breaking mp If Turkey would result In sever"
blow To English trade and industry. which now
find In the Lcvant "A profitable market, that
would be closed were the Sulians dominlonS To
bc pariitloncd up as projected between Russia,
France and Austria all three Of which aif9ct a
policy Of commercial protection and Of high
tariff This is probably what keeps Lord Sails
bury from making use Of the potent weapon
which h. has at his disposal to bring the Turk