New-York tribune., 1896-01-24
&c THE SULTAN A VASSAL?
-,rrcaNCE OF THE ALLEGED TURKO-
RUSSIAN ALLIANCE.

DON ATTACH no IMPORTANCE TO
THE REPORTED AGREEMENT.
BUT THE PAIL MALL GAZ-
ETTE' GUARANTEES THE
TRUsTvoRTHINEss OF
THE scURcEs OF
INyoRMATIoN
,ordo,. Jan. "a dispatch from CONSTANT
,onle 10 THE Pail Mall Gazette says
An offensive and defensive alliance has been ne
ne treaty is on the lines Of the Cnkiar-Skeessi
agreement The treaty has been signed In Con; Con-
Gar. {. r.
n Cambon French Ambassador to Turkey,
,od AN audience with the Sultan on January
u. which lasted two hours. This tends to
.how tha, France is In all probability men,
her Of the new alliance.
"The Gazettes" correspondent Is believed TO
he inside of the British Embassy The Unkiar-
skelessi agreement dates back to 1888 and
amounts TO a reduction of Turkey to the posi-
ton Of vassal state.
The treaty bound the Russian and Turkish
Governments mutually to assist each other to
resist foreign aggression and to help each other
IN case of internal dangers AS Turkey was al
the time Of the negotiation Of the agreement in
4 state of utter collapse, Russia waived the
matter of assistance promised by Turkey and
received instead permission in the event Of Rus
sa's being at war TO close the Dardanelles to
warships of all nations. The Western Powers
refused to recognize the treaty. which soon
tacity abandoned.
"The Pail Mall Gazette guarantees the trust
worthness Of the sources OF information Of its
representative at Constantnople.
The Foreign Office officials profess to know
nothing whatever Of the alleged defensive and
offensive alliance between Russia and Turkey
and attach no Importance to the statements
concerning it published in THE Pail Mall Ga
zette"
OPINION ON THE CONTINENT.
Dispatches received here show that ignorance
is declared in official quarters in Paris, Berlis
and Vienna Of an offensive and defensive alliance
having been entered upon by Russia and Turkey.
In some quarters the report is characterized as
ridiculous. Nevertheless it is widely admitted
that the recent known exchange Of communica-
tions between Russia and Turkey justifes the ex-
pectation OF some agreement between the two
Powers.
A dispatch from Paris, which THE Standard
will publish tomorrow, says that inquiries made
circles of the existence of such alliance. but
brought forth a denial that 1t was possible for a
treaty to be concluded on the lines of the Unkar-
Skelessi agreement, as that would imply an in
eyitabie
The Berlin correspondent OF THE Daily News
sys he finds that such alliance is regarded
a. improbable. which statement is confirmed
by THE Posts Berlin representative.
The Vienna correspondent of THE Daily Tele
graph" says that the rumor is nowse new, IT
having been in circulation for some time in
Vienna in various forms. This correspondent
adds that inquiries have resulted in the express
sion of a consensus OF opinion that such
treaty has been negotiated, but he further says
that none is needed. as the cordial. unstipulated
agreement between Russia and Turkey. based
upon mutual interests. is firmer and more COM
plete now than at any time since the Of
1877
THE Daily Graphic says the report was re-
ceived by London daily paper some weeks ago
from Rome. Inquiries failed to establish the
truth Of the dispatch, and it was therefore sup
pressed.
Alexander Olarovsky. the Russian Consul Cen
eral at this port. expressed himself yesterday as
being in something Of quandary over the dis
patch sent from Constantinople TO THE Pail Mall
Gazette" that an offensive and defensive alliance
had been concluded between Russia and Turkey
which would practically give Russia the control of
the Dardaneles and make her a paramount power
in Turkey Mr. Olarovsky said:
has been negotiated There similar treaty
made in the '30s. and all Europe was up In arms
was abrogated. But that was in the 'sOs Things
have changed since then. Ihen; again ths @ dis.
Britain herself to test public opinion get the lay
Of the land for her own purposes anu moreover yer
truth hin In the story Ii is all guesswork here.
Frederic r. Coudert, who is the legal representa-
tive In this country Of the French Government
which the dispatch says may be a party to the
treaty expressed himself follows;
1t is idle to talk Of this matter now. We have nc
means of knowing here that there is anything in II
II may be semi l-oficially denied tomorrow
Mr. Coudert evidently did not take the dispatcf
as earnestly as his labors the Venezuelan Com
mission.
While the French Government seems disposed u
side with Russia in minimizing the awiui cohu'tioi
Of affairs in Armenia. the Liberal papers In france
do not hesitate TO publish the particulars sent DS
their correspondents in the Orient Among tnes'
correspondents is that of the "Semaphore.' OF Mar
sell,es the French city which entertains with Iur
key and her possessions the most intimate com
mercial social and political relations In his iet.e
sent from constaptinop.e at the beginning Vi III"
month the "Semaphore's' correspondent says
The more the European embassies come 10 S,' SiU"
the reports OF Their consuls in Asia Minor, Syr!s
and Armeno- Kurdistan. the more hofriD.e p,picts
the situation OF the Asatc viiagets or dS'fcs d ,bon
The latest troubles have made thousands ana tnou
sands Victims In the single vaget of Sivas ac
cOrdng to the figures of the German C9nsn, n "a,
less than 1000 AT Svas there l,5O mousse
burned. and 1000 at Gurum. But In all the locdii an
ties where fire was employed by the rioters, IL u,
not stay at the Armenian quarters. put IN "a nf:
places the flames extended TO the neignporhS ~ %,
sulman quarters and the Mahometan popuIa,o,
nnds itself without shelter. wei as the IN ~ 10 -
tians. The country is ravaged. ruined tnere 5 ~ ~
longer any commerce industry. or even day labor !,
Ing Everybody stays at home. hardy uaI"s :, i
20 out in order TO procure food. or course, ~ L q .
impossible TO gather the taxes and the prov "a -,
safes OF the Government are empty. me con99',po o
Of military affairs is no better than tnat Oh u. ra
financial. The mobilization Of the redfs, or III
serves has produced only half OF the number VII Wi.
vas expected. and the equipment or these so,d,e H.
iamentaby deficient. Many or them are S,E ,E,
less and very few have overcoats just al In, tni
moment. when the temperature is beiow iree~''