New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-25
THE NEWS IN EUROPE.
.ro,.oNrL HAYS FAVORABLE IMPRESS
SION UPON LONDON.


IT cRrArrs-osMAN pAcHAs ADVANCE
NrNr-rup CHANGE IN BRITISH FEEL
ING ABOUT THE wAR-soUrH
AFRICAN AFFAIRS AND THE
ADVANCE IN EGYPT
lny CABLE TO THE TRrDUNEl
London. April 24-The American Ambassador
has received cordial greeting from the Ensnsh
press. and has quietly entered upon his WORK
with the self-possession of trained oipio-
nat,st, He is credited with having MADE
a graceful and judicous speech at South
empton, and compliments are showereu upon
him in the newspapers. One journal makes
shrewd s,rrnise that he will be less frequently
seen on public platforms than some Of his prede-
cessors and frankly adds that this will scarcely
be regarded as fault. He has not accepted any
Invitations of public nature. and Will await the
return Of the Queen and Lord Salisbury before
making any public appearance. Meanwhile. he
Is exchanging calls with the Foreign Office and
members of the Diplomatic Corps and preparing
20 take up new questions which are arising as
20 the Seations between England and America
Mr. Bayard is expected on Monday from Paris.
His friends now assert that the engagements
which he has made have been forced upon hin,
TO his annoyance, and that he desired to return
70 America fortnight earlier 1t Will be inter-
est,ng to observe whether he will be able to re-
sist the temptation to speech making which has
been his besetting weakness. The bad taste or
these belated public appearances, when his sue
cessor has arrived, is admitted by his warmest
friends but they contend that the responsibility
for them is not his. Mr.. Bayard's health has I'M
proved during his italian journey.
Lord salsbury's absence from the Foreign
ONCE during the first week Of the hostilitles In
Thessaly and Eprus has been deplored'by his
friends and sharply censured by his enemies
in the party in power. Even Punch" hits off
tho situation in an effective cartoon Lord Sal
isbury is not sensitive when criticised He will
remain in France another week and not return
before the day originally set Apart from per-
eonal interviews with the Ambassadors. he prob
ably could not do much more in London than he
Is now doing on the Riviera. where he Is III con-
slant communication with his understudy. Sir
Thomas Sanderson. the permanent Under Secre-
tary. and he Is also near tho Queen. who exer-
cises a stronger influence than anybody else over
Mr.. Gladstone's two imperial despots The best
point which his critics make is that the Foreign
Once, with its chief on a vacation. emphasizes
the fact that England is not exerting decisive
influence during the crisis In the East Re-
sponsibility for that crisis must mainly be shared
Oy germany anu fluSSld, lllo lWO IOWSio Nh'NA
have prevented a settlement of the Cretan ques-
ton in the only natural and practical way, and
compelled the Turks to declare war and the
Greeks to defend their territory. Lord Salisbus.
by his absence may desire to throw the respcisi-
bility where it belongs. and in this way to WASH
his hands in public. Pontus Pilates exponent
while at the time ingeniov. "i"heSHii'' HAS
Sf at Rsr0Ved o0hV'nc'''
The military situation cannot be ntelgently
discussed ia London cable letter, especially
when the best-informed Judgment may be re-
versed at any moment by the caprcious fortunes
OF war. When the campaign opened few diff
culties presented themselves to the military at
taches OF the English press, apart from the
orthoSraphy OF frontier villages and mountain
passes which could be spelled in a dozen ways.
The Turks had heavier battalions, superior ar
tiery and better trained staff advisers and must
Inevitably WIN German officers had organized
the army and planned the tempaign. and there
would be a holiday march to Larissa after the
first great battle had been won By n,assin, tho
heaviest guns. This Judgment Influenced rso
opinion Of nearly all English journals on the
moral Issues Of the war. Most Of them spoke
with undisguised contempt OF the Greeks and
ranged themselves. as they assumed Providence
would do on the side OF the heavier battalions.
The earliest dispatches from the seat of war
confirmed this judgment. The Turks seemed to
be driving the helpless Greeks before them like
chaff before a wind. While the military critics
were praisng the Turkish tactics and predicting
that the fighting would be over in a fortnight.
Edhem Pacha was suddenly recalled and Osman
the veteran hero Of Plevna was sent to the
front to displace him. This astonishing change
OF commanders before the end Of the first week
OF hostilities has demoralzed the military critics
They are speaking more respectfully Of the valor
OF the Greek soldiers and more doubtfully of the
issue OF the war; in which the advantages OF
German science and superior artillery are now
less noticeable than they were. 1t u.s. however.
more reasonable to attribute tho recall of Edhen
TO palace intrigues at Constantnople rather than
to the exigencies Of the military situation Lin
coins story about swapping horses in crossing a
stream is not Turkish classic tale.
The Sultan can displaca commanding general
as easily as he can brush 1y aside on
window-pane Of the palace, and. being an ORR
entail potentate, ne likes TO act on the caprice of
the moment and display his absolute power.
Nothing could be easier than for favortes and
amateur tactcians who have his ear to demon
strate that Larissa might have been captured
and the war ended in fortyeght hours and that
Edhcr. who insisted upon fighting as he went
along and upon bringing up tho artillery and re-
serves, was soldier.
The European Concert Is in a state Of sus-
pended animation The adrarals are still block
aiding Crete, but are hardly able TO answer tho
perplexing question asked by Colonel Vassos,
whether they are acting as allies Of Turkey
That question can be answered only after pro-
longed consultations among tho six Powers; but
practical reply can be forced whenever Colonel
Vassos chooses to take the offensive against the
Turkish troops on the island. If the European
aeet opens fire uDon the Greeks II will hn clear
that the Powers are fighting the battle of the