The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-05-08
THE EASTERN QUESTION.

The East is just now the Land Of
promise. The military nations Of ku-
rope are entangled and muddled IN 1t.
They have committed themselves 10
an impossible ''concert." " and they par
take OF trouble that is incurable and
that has been inhamed by bloodshed.
and liable to blood poison them AL.
The powers fear the fall OF the Turks
and 50 coddle the Ottoman Empire
England lends gold; Germany arms AMI
and officers; and the appetite Of Russia
is 50 large that the czar is unwilling
TO go SHARES with anybody. England
sustains the sultan in order 10 use his
influence in Egypt and Asia. She wants
two roads TO India--one by the Red pea
and the other through Asiatic Turkey
by rail over the old caravan route. with
a crossroads line through the Tigrs
ami Euphrates valleys. Austria Is bit
ter against the Greeks because size
wants Macedonia, with Salolica for
her great port on the Mediterranean.
She aims for Salonica as Russia does
for COnstantinople II by concert"
Turkey were divided. Russia would be
excluded from the Mediterranean
again and perhaps forever. She aids
England in the preservation Of Turkey.
30 that Cons;antiAople cannot become (
the possession Of Greece or any other
power until the good time oomes f5r
Russia alone. Italy. baffled and beat
en- and driven from Africa, wants some
Grecian Islands. and has sOugat the 4
society Of Great Britain that her feet. /
joined to the Mediterranean s1uaaroa
headquarters at Gibraltar and Malta, .
may prevent Russian and French unity
from commanding the road to India
through the old world central sea. Jus;
now there may be no danger OF this ap-
parent. as Russia and France are not
playing that they are fond Of each
other, but the influences potent ror ten
years may be revived any day. Italy
also owes certain loyalty 10 Germany.
and seconds the movements Of william
so far as they are traced, and he 1as
forced himself into the Eastern 1ues.
ton, though geographically out 0r it,
because he wants TO find a way in the
general direction TO NEEDLE with Eng
lands Asiatic Empire and African Pc
public. He has his fingers in he hot
places Of South Africa. and IS intrusive
In the European Eastern question for a
basis Of obtrusion in the African ques-
ton. This idea leads him also 70 in.
cline TO the support Of France in her
Egyptian grievance that embltters her
toward England. France is one OF the
gang Of powers, because she wants
compensation for England's grabs ot
Cyprus and Egypt. France has the
weakness that beset her to find a fight
in Tonquin, to dream that she has a
claim on Asia. Thus all Europe IS In
volved in the Graeco Turkish war. and
the end Of that war out Of sight.
New difficulties arise because tn.
Turks. excited by victory and rejoicing
in their strength. are resolved 10 hold
the land they have conquered, ard they
are pushing on relentlessly. That they
are in overwhelming force so far as the
Greeks are concerned, there is no
doubt The distance between L.alfssa
and Athens is about the SAM as from
TO Atlanta; and though
the Greeks are Of the kind 70 fight
they have not got the
weight to do it, even If they should sud.
denly find capable commanders.
The king Of Greece submits with do
:ility TO be mere fgurehead. The
opposition TO his govrnment when the
war began, is already the administra.
lion, and the incapacity Of the monar-
ihy has been demonstrated; its tinsel
iignity is ridiculous, and its divine
1retensions blasphemous
The story of the break up Of the Gre.
ian army at Larissa is more and more
The disgrace seems TO be
complete. We hear that "a dozen more"
ireek cannon have been found by the
turks by the roadside; and that the
leavy guns in tine forts We're not cam.
Iged; neither We're the telegraph wires
ut If there was a man there with
Iead, he has not been heard from.
Prince Constantine was, it is diynlg-
d, enjoying himself in a richly fur
lished tent, from which ne sent mis- bull
stins telling that he had been under
ne. He and his staff were sumptuous-
sheltered and provided, and ran
way and left their luxuries for the =