The San Francisco call., 1897-03-28

IuR, Will stay III tn6 SOuIn OF TRANCE sew
eral weeks. There he will guide Great
Britain's diplomacy in silence, having
neither the Cabinet to consult nor the
opinion of the country to consider. Con-
servatives and Liberals alike are fretting
under the prolonged reticence of Lord
Salisbury in disclosing his Eastern policy.
The Radicals are very indignant and are
trying to raise a popular agitation, which,
If Parliament were approaching its natural
term. would work no end of mischief to
the Government. 1t may be no fault of
Lord Salisbury that he does not explain
his policy clearly to the British public.
Prudence may excuse his silence, but on
all sides it is felt that his persistent ignor-
ing of the demands of mem bers OF the
House of Commons for information as to
bow Great Britain exactly stands toward
the European powers is largely due to his
known contempt for popular opinion when
be thinks he can afford to show it.
Safe in the confidence reposed in him
by his majority in both houses, he can
put up his colleagues in the lower house
to eyade questions or decline to answer,
end to balk debate on points which are
CT the most momentous interest 10 the
country.
1t has been often stated that even Cab
ilet Ministers are not in Lord Salisbury's s
confidence. He is understood to consult
With or communicate to Balfour, Sir
Michael Hicks Beach, Cham berlain and
the Duke of Devonshire all i'm portant
steps he may dscde upon. But even this
inner Cabinet has little or no power in
shaping his policy.
There probably never was Prime Min
lister or Foreign Secretary in English Par
Hamentary history who so entirely played
"off his own bat" and who stsked the in
terest OF his country with SO little defer
ence to the opinions of his Cabinet.
The dissatisfaction in Parliament only
partly reflects the discomfort throughout
the country. More and more the tide of
sentiment is rising in favor of Greece,
which is even in pronounced Unionist
papers declared to have been treated
with scant respect justice and human
ity. The general discomfort has
been intensified during the. current
week by the prospective mixed occupation
of Crete turning out be not the pacific
mode of settlement which the diplom attic
iugglers promised it would be; and by the
persistence of Greece in asserting herself
against the Porte and the powers. The
occupancy threatens to be very mixed
affair, with no common plan of operations,
disliked and misunderstood by the Cretan
population and carried out by the troops,
the best portion of whom detest their work.
AS the pI ocass of pacification develops
the prospect may brighten up. But one
of the first measures proposed to give
Crete chance of internal peace-the con-
stitution of an autonomy under a compe-
tent chiefs not within sight. The few
reliable press correspondents who are wir-
ing from Canea and other points concur
in stating that autonomy means to the
Cretan Christians the root and branch
extirpation of the Moslems and among
their notables a free acquisition of more
land.
Massacre and spoliation are described as
the first principles OF Cretan patriotism
among Moslems and Christians alike.
though it must be acknowledged that d is
plays of this sort of patriotism have here
tofore been special privilege of the
Moslem population, upheld by Turkish
bayonets.
The Paris Journal des Debats to-day
publishes letter from an officer of the
French squadron which shows. if true,
an awful condition of affairs This Off.
Ger declares that the facts he set forth
in his letter are vouched for by the sur
geons OF the cruiser, who are performing
duties ashore.
He declares that many Moslem children
of tender age have been violated by So
called Christians, that boys have been
frightfuily mutiated and babies sIashed
with sabers. He adds that in war the
Cretan Christians resembled wild beasts.
The tremendous difficulty of govern
ing on civilized methods such a people
has exercised the minds of Lord Sails
bury and M. Hanotaux more, perhaps,