The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-06
No Other Man Could Hold All
Christendom Quiet During
Turkish Atrocities.
STRANGE PLANS OF ARMENIAN
REv0LUTIONIsTS.
England's Attention TO Be Engrossed
With the Greatest Ship.Bui!ding
Strike on Record.
Copyright, 1896, by the New York Times.

copyright, 1896, by the New York TimesJ
LONDON, Enc, Sept. at is a long
time since any sudden death has excited
Europe so much as that of Prince Loba-
noff. The confused statecraft of the past
eighteen months had put so many strings
into his hands that his wholly unlocked
for dropping out affected every diplomatic
interest in the Old World Moreover, no
room has been left for doubt that Russia's
policy was his own personal affair and
shaped entirely by himself, and though
there were signs that this was not to be
so much longer, he was still the individual
master of the whole international situa-
ton when he fell dead. Being silent,
preoccupied man, much more of the
Moltke than of the Bismarck type, the
public knew very little about his per-
sonality, but 1t was beginning to be real
lied that he must be a man of extraordi-
nary powers, if only from his ability to
hold all Christendom quiet while theTurks
massacred Armenians by the tens of thou
sands. Naturally the assum ption that he
alone did what had been done suggests
the belief that no possible successor to his
place will be able to carry on his work IN
changed.
Letters received from Russia to-day re-
port the existence there OF public rumor
that the Car has been deeply affected and
depressed by the Lobanoft tragedy, of which
he and his wife were close spectators.
That terrible disaster at the coronation
IS still a vivid memory in the Russian
court, for it nearly broke down the Cars
frail nervous system, and this new shock
cannot but raise fresh foreboding. He
appears in Breslau to-day, striving to look
and act as if nothing had happened, but
no more is heard of the decision reached
at Vienna, that his wife should remain in
Russia and leave him to travel alone.
When the Gear arrives at Copenhagen it
will be possible to learn something definite
about his physical and nervous condition,
concerning which, since May all sorts of
alarming hints have been circulated.
The question of Lobanoff's successor re-
mains entirely a matter of speculation.
The German press displays prompt unan-
unity in calling attention to Count
Schouvaloff as the obvious and only man
for the place, and no doubt, from the Ger
man point of view, he would have been an
ideal selection, but before Berlin's plea
for him had reached st. Petersburg he
was stricken with paralysis, and this sum-
marily wiped him out of the list of posi-
bilities.
What advice Nicholas will get from EN-
peror William these next two Gays-if, in
deed, he gets any-it is impossible to con-
lecture; but in the ensuing month of
domestic seclusion at Copenhagen and
Balmoral he Will encounter united fam
lily pressure in favor of M. de Staal. Both
the Danish and the English royal fam
lilies and, it is understood, the Car s
mother as well, wish to see NJ. de Staal
installed in tie Russian Foreign Office,
and circumstances seem to be helping
them. On the other hand, the most pow
full Russian groups would prefer eth er
Nelidoff or Shishkine, the latter having
probably the stronger backing. Austria
and France are both praying for Count
kahinist, who is intimately known and
liked at both Vienna and Paris.
The experience of the past years kalei-
doscopic shiftings should have prepared
one for any novelty, but it is none the less
very puzzling to find that the Austrian
official press is now vigorously denounc-
Ing England and sneering at the Ar
menian miseries, while the German pa
pers have veered around mpletely, and
are declaring that Europe can no longer
tolerate the savagery of the Turk WHAT
this all means it is difficult to say. Very
likely future events will furnish an ex-
PLANTATION, and if it turns out that during
the Vienna visit Russians and Austrians
struck bargain on the Eastern question
behind Germany's back perhaps that
would cause the least surprise. But il
anything of the sort was done in Vienna
who shall say that Prince Lobanoff's
death has not undone it2
For some unexplained reason it is be-
lieved at Marseilles that the fifteen Ar
menian heroes of that extraordinary Otto
man bank exploit will be shipped tC
America. OF course it is taken for granted
that France will pay no attention to the
Turkish demand for their extradition
The Armenians themselves say that
wherever they may be sent, they viii re-
turn, re-enter Turkey by way of Greece
and Macedonia and make another demon
stration in Constantinople. They are said
to regret now that they abandoned theil
original scheme for raiding and Selling
the embassy of one of the great powers in
stead of capturing the bank, and there i.
story that they are resolved to put this
plan into operation when they get bach
again. There is certain originality
about this which fascinates one. To seizt
say the Russian or the Austrian EN- bassy
and to hold its staff for ransom under
threat of dynamite bombs would undoubt
eddy arrest the attention of Europe. Wha
else it would do is a matter of doubt, bu
perhaps the Armenians are right in mold
ing that, whatever the result, it would
necessarily be an improvement on thei
present condition.
These last massacres IN Coustantinoplt
have had the effect OF engaging the vari
Gus embassies in a vigorous and common
action. Never before has the Sultan hearc
such plain talk and visibly united powers
and it seems to have had profound effec
on him. 1 have reason to believe that