The herald., 1897-05-18

George his crown.
But what is to be done? The willy
sultan pleads that the war party in his
dominion will allow him to accept
nothing less, and 1t is possible that in
this Abdul Is right. II the Turks think
they were forced into the war against
their own will, now that they see their
arms triumphantly victorious, 1t is quite
natural for them to insist on gathering
the fruits of their victory. And we must
not forget that the Turkish government
has proclaimed aloud at all times that
Greece is the aggressor, and that the
war is forced on Turkey. The powers
have all along said that this is correct
statement of the case.
Now it is hardly possible in wha tever
light the matter rs viewed that Europe
will consent to all or to half of the de-
mand of the sultan. Should he prove
contumacious there is very pretty
fight on in Europe. With so powerful an
army the Turk can make a most stub
born resistance. Once the war is on. no
eye can see far enough ahead to discry
where it may not go among the fanatics
who follow the teachings of the Koran.
They extend from European Turkey
over the greater part OF Asia. including
the English posse ssions in India, and
they cover the greater part of Africa.
In this connection we must not forget
a possibility uttered in The Herald weeks
ago, that Russia is playing deep game
of diplomacy to gain ends she has had in
mind for 1000 years, and that France,
Germany and Austria may be more or
less party to the scheme. Last Sunday
the Associated Press dispatches from
Soucan gave unequivocal intimatiore
that there was great coalition adverse
to England. whose influences were be-
ing felt at every point in the rearrange-
ment of matters in the east.
1t has been very easy to assume that
these great powers were all open and
above. board in their seeming under
standing, and that the war would be To-
Called and of short duration. 1t has
been plain thing upon the surface that
both belligerents must obey the dictates
of the powers when they should all
speak in concert. 1t may be that the
real mind of all the powers is for peace,
and that peace will be maintained. But
it need surprise no one if there is great
mass of insincere pretense covered up
under this apparent solicitude for the
peace OF Europe. A few days will throw
more light on the matter. If the sui
tan Is firm in his demands for so full an
indemnity and for the recession of Thes-
sally we may look for almost any deveI-
opment except one which means the
restoration of peace to Europe.
There are three influences at work to
bring about general war. One is de-
sire on the part of the two young dee-
pots, whose tenure of their jobs is not
secure. to direct the attention of their
subjects to great foreign war. The
other is the conviction that Turkish mis-
government is an abuse go shameful to
modern civilization that the toleration
thereof cannot last forever. The third
is profound dislike of England, which
lies at the very heartstrings of the peo-
pie of Europe
The fin de steele notion is not altogether
a matter of prejudice. The centuries are
somewhat prone to close in upheavals
and changes of radical nature, and
apparently there never went by a CELL
tury since history bears it's records more
ripe for revolution than the one at whose
close we are now standing.
While we shall all feel sorry for the
poor dupes Of a false sentiment of pa
triotism which may lead them to their
deaths to uphold rotten despottsm, yet,
in view Of the broader interests at stake,
we will say let war come, and let it
shake these hypocritical pretenders to
eolicitude for human rights from their
rickety thrones and let an era of real
human interest be ushered in where
freedom shall have some hearing, and
where true patriotic impulses will out
weigh sordid considerations of mere ex-
pediency.