Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-20
The Eastern Question is the Pan
European Question.
TIE PORTE LEAST CONCERNED IN IT
What Austria's Awful Menace
Really Means.
E. Err Y BODY IS FRAID

Austria has delivered an ultimatum to
! the porte which says that unless steps are
Immediately taken for the redress of her
grievances at Mersina she will lombard
| that port, seize its custom house ard repay
herself not only the indemnity demanded
| for the persecution of the Austrian Lloyd
steamship officer there, bat also the amount
demanded by the Anatolian railroad for the
transportation of troops during the late
Turko-Grecian war" So ran the dispatch
startling!y displayed in all Of the newspa-
pers last week.
| 1T is safe to say said Mr.. Henry Rob
| erts, for several years an attache of the
American legation in Constantipopie to a
| Star reporter, that no one in Constantine
| pie or in Vienna had the slightest fear that
] the threat would be carried out. Every
one knew it to be but the usual old thread
bare device. Every one knew that the
| porte 0he Turkish foreign oiifce) would
| readily come in with stumbling agree
ment to whatever was asked long before
such a rigorous course should be rem Tered
necessary But perhaps many people I'M
derstood but diIniy why the Austrian am
| bassaior should have made such a flourish
OF defiance over an ordinary demand for in
deninlty. There are dozens of larger and
more serious claims pending from all of the
great powers, including the United States
There are claims of millions and millions
of pounds for lives sacrificed and property
destroyed during the terrible Armenian
masSacTes, of which this government claims
probably $l5o,OU. We fortunately thanks
10 the vigilance of Minister Terrell, had no
cltiZens killed, as did Greece, Italy AMI
France, or no vice consuls attacked ami
| wounded, as did England.
The Dilntory Turk.
Not one of these claims has ever been
| recognized, much less paid And each of
h,.
| forcing payment The good people of this
country who are interested in the mission
airy work among the Armenian Christians
of Turkey and who often call upon the
government at Washington to force the re-
dress of our grievances 90 not know per-
maps, that we are but the slightest claim
arts for redress They do not know when
they hold up foreign countries, especially
England, as an example of how we ought
10 protect our citizens and property
abroad with gunboats and swords, that
highlands claims for similar outrases are
more than ten times much as our own.
what is perhaps of greater Importance is
mat such affairs are conductedy wholly in
the relation that they bear to other greater
ana more general affairs. 1t would doubt
less please some people to make war on
Turkey for less than 100000 of property
lost in riots 1t would surely be hail ID
with delight by certain great powers of
Europe. But We nave other affairs Ga our
hands than to act as catspaws for any 9TH
er nation. And We know that when soon
er or later. they agree among themselves
10 pay themselves, they will willingly give
us our little share of the collected debt
and will have acted as our agents instead
of using us as theirs.
Two years ago, when our government
was urged to pass the Dardenelles with the
Marbehead to avenge indignities. England
had tWentyseven of her best ships in the
Mediterranean, and did not dare do what
ch1
boat. 1t was not from fear of the Turks,
but of the rest of Europe. And she spur
red on her missionary societies, headed by
MIR Gladstone and the Duke of Westmin-
ster, to cooperate with our missionaries in
condemnng our government and our min
lister at Constantinople for rot ordering the
Marbehead to blaze the way for the Brit
sh squadron to follow.
Austrin's Threat.
ITO return to Baron Calce's move of
last week When re carefully handed out
the neat little typewriter statement of
his ferocious demand at the porte to the
Constantinople correspondents of the Eu-
ropean papers every embassy there knew
that the publication was not to brighten
the Turks. 1t had much wider purpose.
1t went to the very bottom of the whole
eastern situation. 1t was for the benefit
of all of the recently liberated states of
southern Europe, all of whom nurtured
in Turkophobia. Austria mas long been
seeking to extend her influence among
them; has long been envious of the Rus
sian propa garda widespread through Ser
via, Bulgaria and Roumania. All of this
| old-tin,e Turkish territory has naturally
been regarding with great diSfayor the
recent Turcophile position of the great
| lowers commencing with the war in Thes-
sally And Austria thought the time ripe
| and the occasion good to win back favor
| from these Greek Church nations by reas-
| cunning the old attitude of hostility. AS
| a rule the recent communications between
| the Russian and Turkish governments have
| had all of the thickness and silence said
to surround thieves. Russia has been the
| friendly and protecting power against all
of the outside. There was, therefore, equal
reason when the Russian embassy follow
ed unusual course and gave out a state
ment that 1t had presented note at the
porte to prevent the renovation of the
Turkish navy with part of the Greek war
indemnity. Russia has never collected the
| indemnity due her from Turkey for the
war of 1878. This is perhaps one of the
strong weapons which she uses to have her
own way at Yildiz. She probably would
not take 1t II 1t were offered her. But as
| a hostile play to counterbalance the Aus
TRAN move, and at the same time to re-
strict the growth of German prestige, she
| now reminds Turkey that Turkey still
owes even the interest on this indemnity.
| 1t is unbeco:ning in her to spend the money
| to be obtained from the Greeks in the re-
Mobilization Of her own defenses.
The Sultan ImperturbabIe.
"And there is another point in regard to
this threatening of the sultan. Do not for
a moment believe that 1t disturbs the wise
man of Yildiz. No one man is perhaps bet
ter acquainted with all of the intricate
phases of the question of which he is the
living centec. And threats such as that
made by Austria disconcert him no more
than do the religious outbursts against
him used for similar ends by other nations.
The sultan's strength lies very much as
did that of Tammany in the late New York
election All that he has to do is to keep
the holy English Low and the fierce Rus
sian Platt giowering at each other and
he Is as safe as was Tammany. 1t is
often very amusing to see the calmness
with which the porte receives the most
threatening communications. Evidence of
this may be had, in which we as a country
have an interest, by turning to the recent
ly issued Red Book for 1895. Therein will
be found the communications from the
United States minister near the sublime
porte demanding the payment of indemnity
for missionary property burned during the
| massacres at Harpoot and Marash. Who
ever will read these must clear the late
minister of the freOuent charoes o0o;n,t