Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-09-25
Agitating The Turkish Question

The agitation of the Turkish question
| shows slight signs of abating, for which
all who deplore the terrible condition
| of affairs there will be sorry. The
prospect, that England will alone anG
unaided make any serious effort to
stop the slaughter is a thing Of the
doubts that if England saw impending
loss of any of the immense territory
she has brought under her supervis-
ion she would not hesitate an instant
to declare war But when thousands
of ArmenianS are killed by those for
whose good behavior England has made
herself responsible, that is another
matter. She was willing to fight Russia
and the world for threatening to break
up the Turkish Empire but she is not
willing to fight or to risk fight in pre-
serving the lives of a race, that she
has left exposed to the fiendish procli-
vities of the government she preserved
When Mr.. Bowles,a conservative mem
Der of Parliament, stated the other day
that he was authorized by the foreign
office to say that England could not
by an agreement with the three central
powers of Europe and that war would
result from any attempt on the part
of England to interfere he probably told
the truth. although he may have ex-
ceeded his authority. 1t was evident
that the British government is alarmed
ut the rising Indignation of the English
people and the English press has taken
the cue ard is trying to impress on the
people that TO compel the government
to interfere would bring on war
The agitation is not stiled as vet,
| however, and if the Turk is not able
to restore temporary cessation of the
| existing condition in that country, il
| may serve to bring matters to a head.
1t is earnestly hoped that sentiment in
Franc" and Germany can be asitated
to point that shall force concerted a.
ton, though The outlook for it is not
particularly fattering. The following
letter from Mr.. Gladstone to Mr.. Mau-
rice Lendct of the Paris Figaro ough.
20 nave an effect and we hope will ~,
supplemented with other appeals:
The question whether effect can be
given To- the national indignation is
now in the balance, and will probably
he soon decided. ] have read in some
Austrian newspapers an affected scruple
against sole action by any one state il.
Il European crisis, but there are two
| iirstclass powers who will not make
| that scruple their own. One of these is
Russia. who, in 1873 earned lasting
honors BY llerating Bulgaria and help
| inc onward the freedom and security
Of the other Balkan states. The other
power is France, who, in 1910, took up
the cause of Egypt and pushed it sin
gle-handed to the verge of a European
war. She wisely forebore to bring about
| that horrible, transcendant calamity,
| but i gravely doubt whether she was
! not right and the combined powers
wrong in their policy of that period"
Mr.. Gladstone proceeds to denounce
| the Great Assassin and continues:
For more than a year he has triumphed
over the diplomacy of the six powers
They have been laid PROSTATE at his
| feet. There is no parallel in history
to the humiliation they have so
patiently borne. He has therefore
had every encouragement to continue
a course that has been crowned with
such success. The impending question
seems to be. not whether, but when
and where, he will proceed to his next
| murderous exploits. The question for
| Europe and each power is whether he
| shall be permitted to swell by more
| myriads the tremendous total of his
victims. In other years when l pos
Sessed power, / did my best to promote
the concert of Europe, but I sorrowful-
| ly admit that all the good done in Tur-
key during the last twenty years was
| done. not by it, but more nearly, de-
spite it."
| One of our Maine papers suggests.