New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-10
ALTERNATIVES AT ST4MBOUL.

King George of the Heenes the world Is
we'll assured, was forced by public opinion to
accept the Turkish challenge and go to war.
If he had not done so a popular revolution
would probably have swept him from the
throne That may be true. 1t is equally true
that the present defiant attitude of the Sultan Is
due to a like cause. For public opinion Is
power at STEAMBOAT no less than at Athens.
II Is an exceptionally potent force, for 1t Is
animated by religious fanaticism in a nation
of fanatic fatalists When the Ulema declares
it to be the will Of Allah that the Greek Giaours
shall be crushed and Thessaly restored to Is
lam. how can the Commander Of the Faithful
hesitate? Literally ito doubt would be dis
LOYALTY. to falter would be SIM Besides which,
to oppose the demands Of the fanatical popu-
lace would probably cost him his throne, per-
haps his life. Nor indeed, is the popular de-
mand unreasonable. 1t is, as We have hitherto
shown, encouraged by the experience of the last
few wears. 1t is more than encouraged, 1t is
justified by the immemoral example of the Eu-
ropean Powers To 60 no further back did not
Prussia wrest two rich provinces from Den
mark by sheer right Of conquest, and in Ike
manner absorb Hanover? Did not the German
Empire take Alsace- Lorraine as spoils of war!
And after the war Of 1S77'7S did not half
dozen Powers. great and small. enjoy aggran-
dzement at the expense Of Turkey! 1t Is the
rule Of war. the law Of nations. that "he shall
take who has the power why should not
Turkey. then. take Thessaly?
Nevertheless, the great Powers have other
plans. They have one law for themselves
and another for the minor States especially
for the sick Man. whom they have been
bolstering up and doctoring for the sake OF
finally partitionng his effects. They now be-
Gin to realize that they have coddled him too
much, until they nave almost put themselves
into the place Of Frankepstein. SO now from
all, or all but one, comes warning to the Turk
that he must abate his pretenslons or feel their
wrath. Great Britain, to her honor. sounded
that warning long ago, and still abides by IT,
DESPITE the threats of Indian revolt said to have
been inspired from Constantlnople as 4 counter
rrtant. France, too has spoken nobly, and
Italy is known TO be In accord with those two.
More recently Russia the especial patron OF and
reyersionary claimant upon Turkey, has sound
ed the same note: and, latest OF all, Austria
Hungary, hitherto the unknown factor in the
problem, now speaks to the same effect. Ger
many who most melted the Turk to his defiant
course is alone silent, thraed perhaps by
Chancellor crisis at Berlin. or by midsummer
madness dreams Of the American peril" But
not even Germany, so long the marplot, Is like
y now to balk the tardy will of Europe.
One Of two courses 1t would SEEM must be
pursued. Either Turkey must have free hand
or she must not The former would stultify the
Powers and destroy their interests Therefore
the latter Is TO be considered. II would involve
the coercion Of Turkey, and that might mean
ACKNOWLEDGMENT. Again, why not? The Brit
ish Government declares that 1.-The integrity OF
the Ottoman Empire" to which the Powers are
pledged really means its orderly disintegra-
ton If half that has been said Of Turkish
msrule and national decay be true, the time
Is ripe for dispersion Of the remnant now re-
naming They say 1t must be done some time.
Perhaps they will decide the time is now. If
Great Britain and France should say to Russia
and Austria Hungary, "Go in and settle it," the
task would soon be done. And the latter are
the Powers that can best do II and that have
most natural interests involved In doing It.