The record-union., 1896-12-20
Deliberations Of the First Meeting in
No Way Serious.
Facts Which Leak Out Warrant the
Conviction That the Plans Are in a
Very Incomplete Stage of NegOtia-
Into More Comprehensive Shape
at Subsequent Conferences.

BERLIN, Dec. 19.-M Nelidoff, Rus
sian ambassador to Turkey, who has
just returned to Constantinople from
St Petersburg, held to-day the first of
the conferences with the other Embas-
sadors which he is empowered by his
Government to participate in, with
view of determining the policy to be
pursued by the Powers in the enforce
ment of reforms in Turkey. If the pro-
Iosals made by the Russian Govern
ment through NJ. Nelidoff partOok in
any degree of the character of coercion
it is certain that the Berlin Government
would be aware of it. The fact, how
ever, that Baron Saurma Won Jeltsch,
the German ambassador to Turkey,
was absent from the conference is suf
ficient to warrant absolute conviction
that the deliberations of the initial con-
ference were by no means serious. All
that is known in Berlin in regard to the
matter tends to show the existence of
very inconclusive stage of the ne
Sotiations, but the plans discussed will
doubtless be pushed into a more COM
plete and comprehensive shape at SUBJ
sequent meetings of the ambassadors.
NJ. Nelidoff has a scheme for the re-
form of the Turkish finances and a re-
organiza tion of the administration of
the Empire, to which Great Britain and
France will fully assent though the
other Powers are less absolutely COM
mitted to it. But Russia has not as yet
suggested a resort to armed coercion to
enforce the scheme, despite the fact
that every European Government is
fully aware that diplomatic pressure
upon the Sultan is useless unless it be
accompanied by physical force, and the
Powers continue to await the initiative
of Russia in the application of coersive
measures.
The latest utterances of the North
German Gazette" upon the Turkish sit
| uation proves that Germany adheres to
her old attitude, and contends that the
Sultan must not be threatened and no
Power must be permitted to take meas
ures tending toward the dismember
ment of the Turkish Empire.
The financial scheme formulated by
NJ Nelidoff is understood here to in
volve the revision Of the entire Ottoman
debt under a guarantee of the Euro
pean Powers signatory to the agree
ment. The plan also contemplates the
full control of the European Powers
over the Turkish revenues, with the
allotment of a fixed sum for the MAIN
tenance of the army and navy, and for
the purposes of the Sultan's private
purse. and further provides that the
S,,lt o,,'c Ni,,+- Nf inic tay-.
shall be subject to the approval or the
veto Of the representatives of the Pow
ers in Constantinople.
Germany has no interest in Fastening
events in the East, and the official press
of Berlin is therefore reticent as to the
situation: but the opinion is undoubt-
edly held in official circles that the con-
ference of the ambassadors will be fu-
tile unless their conclusions are backed
to the extent of coercion.
Both the Reichstag and the Prussian
Landtag have begun their Christmas re-
cess, after sessions which have been'
conspicuously void of useful legisla-
ton. In the Reichstag of late it has
often been difficult, and sometimes i'm
possible, to obtain quorum, and most
indifference of their executive duties.
The defeat of the Government on Tues
day upon the provision for reform of
the judicial procedure has nullified two
years work in and out of the commit
tee in the consideration of the Penal
Code. The Government ascribes it's de-
feat to the detection of the Centerists,
but the minority vote shows only a
fraction of the Conservatives and Ma
tional Liberals, and includes some Cen
terists. In commenting upon this anal
ysis of the vote the Freisinnige news
papers ask what has become of the ma
jority which the Government was sup
posed to have in the Reichstag
The assertion made by the Berlin
Post that it was the intention of the
Government to resort to prohibitive
measures against the importation of
American petroleum as an act of repri-
sal for President Cleveland's message
to Congress of December Sd, reimposing
tonnage duties upon vessels arriving in
America from German ports. by the re-
vocation Of the Presidents proclama-
ton of January 26, 1888. suspending
such duties, appears to be mere guess
work A correspondent of the United
Associated Presses has elected the Off
cial opinion that no such reprisals as
alleged by the Post are contemplated
by the Government. The Post" in it's
article on the subject, says that al
though Russia now supplies only one
eighteenth. of the 100000, 900 Kilograms
of. petroleum imported into Germany
the Americans are greatly deceived if
they think the Germans depend upon
the United States for the petroleum
they consume. This however. is lust
where the Post errs Germany has
too great need of American petroleum
to debar its Importation
Hon. Edwin F. Uhl. United States
Embassador, Mrs. Uhl and David f.
Uhl Of Grand Rapids, Mich, eldest son
of the ambassador. attended a concert
st the new palace at Potsdam this
week. upon which occasion the Kaiser
congratulated Mr.. and Mrs. Uhl upon
the marriage of their daughter Lucy to
Professor Thompson of Yale University.
David Uhl is on his way home, sailing
for New York to-day.
KANSAS CITY. Dec. 19.-The KAN
sas City Smelling and Refining Works