New-York tribune., 1896-11-21
COMING TO TERMS ~ TURKEY.


The Armenian question. and perhaps the
whole Turkish question, may he little II any
further from settlement than that relating In
the Venezuelan boundary. NJ HanofaN AZ
Paris and VI. Cambon at Constantnople hav"
succeeded in doing what nearly all Europe has
been vanly demanding for the last two years
They have overcome the inertia. the mon pos
sumus' attitude. Of the Porte. and hnv" set
the machinery Of reform In motion. II is not
moving very rapidly as yet but II is moving
and that is n great gain Indeed. rapid prog
rcss is not to be expected The administration
of the Turkish Empire cannot be transformed
in day. IT is NOT amcnabe TO the ways ana
means that prevail in moro modern and more
practical countries Of the West. When the vast
compcxity Of the interests involved Is taken
into consideration the heterogeneous pOpula-
tjop the maze Of laws and customs and tradi-
tons. and thousand and one other crcum-
stances directly bearing upon the case nothing
is TO be seen more clearly than the need Of excr-
| cisng all possible patience in dealing with the
Eastern question: The Idea that everything
| could De set right in twinkllng by the indie
pendent action of some one Power Is utter folly.
United Europe Is responsible for the present
| condition Of the Turkish Empire. and United
| Europe only can bring about peacefully and cf-
fcctively the changes which are desired. II
France now seems TO be- moving the Porte, that
| is because the Porte realizes that France IL
| the spokesman of all the other Powers
II was on November 3 that NJ Hanotaux spoke
on the Turkish question In the French Cham
Der Of Deputies. The Sultan had the full text
Of the speech telegraphed 10 him AS soon as
had 10
| NJ Cambon. the French Ambassador. inviting
| him TO an audience. a few days later an i'm
| perial proclamation Of reforms was issued II
was decrced that all persons who had been ar
rested, on suspicion Of political plots or other
wise. against whom no definite charges existed
should be at once released: that the police
| should prosecute no peaceful Armeniars: that
| the Armenian Assembly should be called to-
gether TO choose new Patriarch which has
| now been DONE that MiZhar Bcy. charged with
| responsibility for the murder Of Father Saliva
| tori. should be brought before court martial
which has been done; that Anis Pacha, Vail Of
Darbekr. charged with responsibility for the
| disturbances there should bc dismissed which
has been done; that the various Walls should use
| special means for the prevention of further dis
| turbanccs: that the damaged Roman Catholic
| converts in Asia Minor should he repaired at
| the expense of the Turkish Governments: that
| relief should be distributed among the destitute
population Of Armenia: that Nadn Bey, Prcfcct
of Police in Constantnople. who behaved un-
| satisfactorily during the rioting there should be
| dismissed which has been done; and that the
general scheme Of administrative reform agreed
upon by the Powers and accepted by the Porte
last year should be executed as promptly as
possible
Now there were ten specific DEGREES Of reform
promulgated fortnight ago Al least four Of
them have already been put into effect. and
there Is reason 10 believe most. perhaps ALL the
which Is the most important Of all. cannot In
the nature Of things be executed insanta-
neOusly. but NJ. CambOn seems to be satisfied
with the progress which Is being made in that
direction. Perhaps the greatest obstacle TO
prompt reforms IN the state OF tire Turkish
Treasury. which is well-nigh bankrupt. 1t has
been found necessary to cut down by IL per
cent the salaries Of all public servants. though
they were before this reduction by no means
high: and even now the Government Is some
months in arrears with It's payroll. Russia
has agreed 10 postpone the payment Of one
half the war indemnity due to her. and that
fact has afforded some little relief, but not
enough to put Turkish finances on q sound
basis Nevertheless, as we have said. n hone
ful beginning has been made toward better