Evening journal., 1897-08-16
THE EASTERN QUESTION.

i mark, III tJnNtISdLlOn WiLn tOunl
Won Cardoff, llkened Turkey 10 a pow
der magazine whose exp,osion would
set all Europe abaze, and just now
| thoughtful statesmen from all over the
world are beginning TO realize the
| truuh Of those words.
The indecisicn, seifshness and cow
ardlce Of the so called great powers
of Europe'-and Greek intervenI,lon in
the Cretan trouble-finally led TO a
war between Greece and Turkey. and
although temporary peace has been
patched up the end is not yet.
We read q great deal about the in
tegrity of the Ottoman Empire" and
the Treaties" and Concert Of the
| Powers but to The careful student Ct
history and current events these things
amount 10 nothing
Not only is Turkey a powder maya
zine. but there seems to lie a volcano
under all Europe, which Will burst
sooner CT later and bring the fierc5st
and most horrible war ever known. 1t
Is impossible to view the preparation
for war now going ON in Europe and
the immense amount Cf money being
spent to maintain armed peace without
feeling great war is inevitable. Dur
ing the last twenty-five years $25,O00,
100000 was spent to perfect the mill
tary system of Europe, and every year
the powers are spending the enormous
sum Of 81 600 .000. 600 TO keep up a farce
, which is sure to have a tragic ending.
The endless discussions OF arma-
/. ments maneuvers, new weapons, mill
: tary tactics. rations and food resources,
are spreading lhe impression every
where that the crisis is not far off. 1t
is this Turkish question which is and
! has been for the last number of years
' a continual menace to the peace Of Eu-
rope.
There will be difficulty as lcng as
there is a Turkey, but Turkey is doom
ed Russia, England, and the other ma
tions will squabble for the 'spoiis' and
the end will ccme. This is not an idle
r prediction. The unanimous opinion of
statesmen is that Turkey is destined
p son 10 be driven from Europe.
y Piece by piece THE western border OF
q the Sultan's dominion has been broken
2, off. Roumania, Servia Bosnia, etc, UNI
j. til only the backbone Cf The Turkey
T., remains i'm Europe and the powers are
preparing to pick even that. The Rus
y sian Eear has had his ugly paw raised
= these many years ready to strike and
J. seize ConstaninOple, but European di-
n p,omacy has thus far saved the Sch
n man of the East" but when the crasf
l. comes, as it surely will, Russia VII
e have her lOng-cOyeted prize.
,e This desire en- the part Of Russia
has been cherished as a sacred legacy
S since THE DAYS Of Peter the Great, who
L. became sole emperor Cf Russia in 1858
L. al. The aged 16, and enjoyed a prosper
4 GUS reign of thirty-seven years to 1925
A. and left to his successor a celebrated
A "last will and Testament" The ninti
4 article OF that will" enjoined the fol
g. owing policy:
4. "TO take every possible means o
4. gainlng Constantinopie and ,he IndieI
n. Tor he who rules there will be the trui
sovereign of The world excite war cou
sr tinually in Turkey and Persia estab
lislh fOriUesses in the Black Sea; &c
Or control Of the sea by degrees, and ais
al If the Baltic, which is a double point
necessary to the realization of our pro
m tcIet. accelerate as much as possible th
decay of Persia penetrate to the Per
SIAN gulf; re-estatish, If possible, b.
way Of Syria, the ancient commerce o
the Levant advance to the Indies whic'
are the great depot of the world. Ono
there we can do without the gold O
England"
n The eleventh article reads "InterS S
~ the House of Austria in the expulsion
Of the Turks from Europe, and quie
their fears ait the moment of the con
g quest Of ConstantinOp!e (having eN
r. cited war amCng the old states Of Eu
as rope) by giving to Austria a portion {
& I the conquest. which afterward will c
r. can be reclaimed
k The following facts from Russia
rs history Will show how persistentl
this line of police has besn fc,owed:
10 In 1896 Peter the Great took the Sc
al II Azcv from the Turks and Rep, j
he Next Catharine lhe Great won the Cr
la mea. In 1912 by the peace Of Buchs
rest. Alexander / obtained MOidavi
,m and Bcssarahia. Then came the gres
IA ! Nicolas, who wen ,he right of FIRE
n navigation OF the Black Sea, the Dai
as danslles, and the Danube, but who's
at greed led to the Crimean war and th
Toss Of Moldavia and the right of nav
eating the Danube, and the unreJric
ed navigation of the Black Sea.
an In 1870 when the FrancO-Russaa
nh war WAS waging, Russia announced
ay the powers that she would be Il
longer bound by the treaty Of 1856 r
" lhidting htr use of the Black Sea, an
.vs Europe had to submit Napoleon Benz
ay r1itc undtrsiOCu Une ueslSn CT iNuesl
of He said to Sir Hudson Lowe, his go
he orncr On st. Helena:
ICE In the course of a few years Russ
ok will have COnstantlncple, part Of Tu
key ard AL of Greece This I hold
ise be as certain as if 1t had already take
irs place All the cajolery and fiattei
III that Alexander practiced upon me W.
ed to gain my consent to effect that c'
ma led. / wCuld not give IT, sesing th'
ice the equilibrium Of Europe would be d
lot s,royed. Cnce mistress Of CCnsuan.
ncple, Russia gets all the commerce
the Mediterranean becomes a nav
power and then GCd knows what ms
happen. The object CT my invasion
els Russia was to prevent this by the il
'us terpOsiticn between her and Turkey
10 a new state. which I meant to call in
rn Nm existence as a barrier 10 her Eastei
encroachments."
% %,nll The words of Napoleon BOnapar
nas in reference TO the destruction Of q
OF r.f