Birmingham state herald., 1897-01-03
WHERE DID T COME FROM2 2 The Sultan Finds a Surplus in
 the Treasury. IS IT THE RUSSIAN HAND?
And Is the lron-Handed Ruler Playing the
 Part of Iudas2
THESE ARE SUPREME QUESTIONS
ory Reports of Conditions in Turkey Manchester Has Real Live Sensa-
 tion-!Truth Again Springsa Poser.

London, Jan. 2-Copyright, 1897, by the Sun Printing and Publishing Associa- tion.-Persons accustomed to call at the Turkish embassy in Bryanston square, this city, observed today strange gleaming in the ambassadorial and sec retarial eyes. It was not a glint of fe- rocity, for the Turk away from home and standing the provocation of the sight of fat, sleek Armenians and Greeks, who somehow seem to prosper while he starves, is the mildest hammered of men. It was rather a light of hope inspired by the prospect of the satisfaction of de- sire long deferred. The entire embassy, in fact, was imbued by the belief that something was about to be paid on ac- count of arrears of Salaries. Tactful in- quiry elicited no sort of justification which would have filled European with such optimism, but the Turkish diplo- matic officer finds enough ground upon which to anchor hope in square yard where European would require square mile, and even then fail to fad secure anchorage. The Sun reporter found the optimism which lighted up Bryanston square and the murky vicinity was in spired by the receipt of an intimation that funds were about to be forwarded through the usual channel and every one appeared to be perfectly satisfied there at, for in addition to a direct promise, indirect proof was forthcoming that mat ters financial were looking up in Con- stantinople. The Hamidech cavalry, which were sent home to Asia Minor this week, were paid almost in full be- fore starting, and in several instances troops who took the risk of threatening to mutiny received something on &C., count. Even the common workmen and the disbanded marines, who engaged in the demonstration at the arsenal in Con- stantinople the other day have received an installment of the money due them All of which goes to prove that there Is money somewhere in Turkey, and in ad- dition to this certainty there remains the great and glorious fact that the sultan's financial financiers have produced a beautiful budget, cannot but be a pre- liminary to floating an even lovelier loan, With the proceeds of which everybody will be made happy indeed. European scoffers recall the fact that so recently as last October, it was officially estimated that the budget would show deficit of $5,000.0 GOO, while unofficial estimates put 1t at nearly $20,000, ,000. But the budget commission now say there is an undoubt- ed surplus and as the sultan has given the statement the seal of his imperial ap- proval, obviously there is nothing more to say.
 The political situation in Constantine pie remains virtually unchanged since week ago.
 Prince Bismarck has inspired the Vienna Neue Freie Presse to declare that "the web on which Russia, together with other powers is publicly engaged, namely the work of reforms, is secretly undone by her day by day" The Turk knows Europe is not united and acts ac- onrdinO1U Tho wi ic a dy in which the dupes are not even duped, be- cause every ca binet in Europe knows that Russia is insincere. She will at the right moment land troops on the shores of the Bosphorus and force protectorate upon the helpless sultan and then close the doors of the straits, putting the keys into her pocket, and, being secure against ships from that side, devote all her ener- gy to the furtherance of her Asiatic schemes. It is unlikely that England will object by force because she could count on military support neither from Austria, which has already concluded compact with Russia on the model of that signed at Reichstadt, with regard to the occupation of Bosnia and Herzogoy- ina, nor from Italy, which statements, to the contrary notwithstanding, has a treaty with Russia.
 The upshot of it all will be that Con- stantinople will become Russian with the rest of the Turkish empire, except
 
 namely, Salonica and it's neighborhood.
 The Neue Freie Presse does not specifi- cally state that it's informant is Prince Bismarck, but the source of it's inspir1- tion is well understood to be Freidrichs- rune, and many people, therefore, are dis posed to attach paramount importance to the foregoing summary of the situa- tion. But Prince Bismarck has said the same thing over and over again since his expulsion from power, and although it is perfectly true that Russia dominates Europe and will make more out of the Turkish crisis than any other power, the suggestion that she is now playing Eu- rope false may be dismissed as baseless. At this juncture more trustworthy au- thority than the ex-chancellor even is the Constantinople correspondent of the Lon don Daily News, who has confidential re- 1ations not only with his own emba ssy there, but with the Russian embassy as we'll. He telegraphed yesterday in full confirmation of the Suns last dispatch on the subject that "the most noteworthy feature of the present situation is that the ambassadors are united among them selves as to the lines of conduct to be pursued. So far as they are concerned the concert of Europe is more completely in harmony than 1t has ever been. What they are discussing is kept strictly among themselves. They have neither a secretary nor protocolist at their meetings and are agreed that for the present at least nothing will be told out side their own circle. But they have no hesitation in letting 1t be known that they are morking harmoniously together. It is notorious that on previous. occasions they have endeavored to be in accord, but they have not succeeded, but the statement is now made so seriously that all are in line as to what they want as to hardly leave room for doubt that the gravity of the situation and the absolute necessity of finding an actual and not a merely apparent and plausible solution power they represent to sink all minor differences and then agree to devise a scheme which can be enforced as we'll as accepted. The ambassadors of England, France and Russia apparently mean business and M. Nelidoff, the Russian ambassador, finds himself supported by