The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-04
PEACE LIKELY TO PREVAIL.
BLUE BLOOD AND BULLION WANT
NO BLOODSHED.

England, Denmark, Russia and
Greece at Work to Prevent War.
Lord Salisbury Has an Interview
with the Financial Kings of Paris.
Copyright, 1897, by the Sun Printing and
Publishing Association.
London, April S.-Although the outlook
in the east seems darker than ever, there
are two potent influences for peace which
are being used at the present moment
with the most energetic determination
They are the manifold resources of the
financial world, and that personal but
rarely exercised, political power which the
allied royal families of England, Den
mark, Russia and Greece have at their
command.
1t is unnecessary to state that financial
interests are always on the side of peace.
There Is good reason for believing, how
ever, that they have been especially ap-
pealed to in the present emergency. The
pivotal point of the financial world just
now IS Paris. Lord Salisbury's visit to
the French capital last week was not en-
urely for the purpose of consulting NJ.
HanotauX, the French foreign minister
lie saw there certain men whose silent po-
htlco-hnancial influence is most potent in
the affairs of Europe. The French gov
ernment is more susceptible to the influ-
ence or Kings of finance than any other.
1t is hardly going too far to say that
no French ministry dares to seriously op-
pose these men. If, therefore, Lord Sails
bury was able to convince such men as
the Rothschilds that his policy was the
safest in dealing with Turkey and Greece,
the cooperation of France would be as
good as secured. The situation must, of
course, pe desperate, that such an extreme
resource should be appealed to.
The same is true of the royal family. A
council is about to be held at Copenhagen.
Ihere is little doubt that King George of
Greece will give great weight to any coun-
sci which may come from such a source,
even If he does not adopt it's suggestion
without question. Nothing in many years
has SO disturbed the royal family of which
the King of Denmark is the head as the
present crisis in the east
All the members of the household are
bound together by ties of affection which
are peculiarly strong. This has been dem
onstrated in scores of ways within the
past six weeks The telegram from Dow
ager Empress of Russia to King George
at the outset of the trouble, which so puz-
zled the diplomatic world, was undoubt-
edly genuine. 1 learned recently, on au-
thority that is beyond question, of an equal
ly renarkab4e dispatch sent by the Prin-
cess Of Wales to Queen Victoria at the
moment when Prince George of Greece
sailed for Crete in command of the Greek
fleet. It was in these words: ''I beg, 1
lmplore you to use all your influence to
prevent the international fleet from firing
upon the Greek ships"
There is no doubt that the queen did all
her anxious daughter-in-law asked and
more. She is restraining Lord Salisbury
in every possible way from adopting a
severe policy toward Greece She sum
fn o1u dol
purpose.
The persistency with which the report
that Turkey and Greece are negotiating
directly has held its ground, despite more
or less authoritative denials, is almost of
itself sufficient to justify some belief in
Its accuracy. As a matter of fact, the
report originated more than a fortnight
ago, in a statement given out from the
Turkish embassy here, on the understand
ing that the embassy should not then be
mentioned as its source 1t may have been
at the time mere kite flown for the pur,
pose of seeing how Europe would take the
idea, but it was soon followed by actual
negotiations, the existence of which has
been officially admitted this week.
Nobody is exactly in a pisition to say
what the sultan wants and what King
George desires, and how their conflicting
claims and interests can be reconciled. The
intentions of the powers, too, are wrapped
in good deal of mystery but the belief
in the best Informed quarters here is that
If the porte and the Athens government
can arrange a deal which will end the
present impossible situation in Crete the
powers will be only too glad to acquiesce.
The probability is that the sultan is act
uated by the paramount need of money,
and knows as well as anybody that Eu-
ropean financiers are powerless, even II
they were willing to raise a Turkish loan
until the Cretan question is settled, and
the armies withdrawn from the frontiers.
Advices from Constantinople are to the
effect that the sultan personally appears
still unembarrassed in regard to money
matters, which is not surprising, seeing
that he has first call on everything aud
has no false deicacy in exercising it, no
matter what may be the state Of the ma
tional exchequer, but the strain of the
military preparations is beginning to tell
everywhere, and it IS almost incredible
that 1t can be endured much longer.
The effect Of the crisis generally NAV
be gauged by statistics furnished from
Solinika, whence a British merchant
writes that all commerce is quite stopped
The customs receipts have fallen 80 per
cent. Nobody seems to have money, ana
nobody pays his debts.
There is reason to believe that Sir I'd
gar Vincent, president of the Ottoman
Ban, has undertaken to place loan OF
coo at quite reasonable figure. if
only the sultan will come to terms with
King George. Considering that in regard
to money matters the situation on the
other side is quite as bad, II not worse,
there really ought not to be insuperaDle
difficulty In fixing up an arrangement
soothing to the self-love Of both parties
As for the situation IN Crete itself.
nothing could be worse or more disgrace
ful to the six mpotencles Of Europe The
statement from Col. Nassos. the Greek
commander, is true In every particular.
The policy of the admirals and their gov
ernmcnts Is impossible and indefensible.
Even Lord Salisbury's supporters in this
country are wondering how long II will be
persisted in. The defenders Of the gov
ernment have been driven TO such expe-
dents as explaining the frequent bonn
bardments In which the international feet
INDUCES as not really disastrous They
even have taken the trouble to invesil-
gate the subject and declare that the
bombardmont OF a town IS a harmless op-
Grafton 80 far as loss of life is concerned
It seems 70 be generally expected that
next Tuesday. the Greek independence
day, viii be a critical moment on the
Thessaiian and Macedonian frontier The
question OF beginning hostilities rests more
with the Greek National Society than