New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-17
THE EASTERN EMBROILMENT

The Greco Turkish war is like the Irishman's
decapitated turtle, which was dead but not con-
scious Of it. Logically, the war ended more
than q week ago. The Greeks were then hope
lessly beaten, the Turks were fully victorious
and neither had any good object to gain by pro-
longing hosilites. During the week the great
Powers proposed mediation and an armistice
The offer was promptly accepted by Greece
though its terms were most humiliatng to her.
But Turkey somewhat scOrnfuy declined II,
or postponed consideration of it to more con-
yenent season. and went on with the war. OF
course Greece had to continue resistance So
desultory fighting has gone on all the week, on
land and sea, with considerable loss of life, but
no material change I'm the general alignment
Of the belligerents.
The immediate blame for this state Of affairs
must rest upon Turkey. But the motives that
govern her, or the influences that control her in
thus continuing the war against the will Of the
great Powers, are not entirely evident. One OBJ
server at Constantinople says the Sultan wants
10 sop the war. but is forced to continue it by
the military and fanatlcally religious parties
That is in a measure credible. The Sultan has
strong personal reasons for making peace at
once. Yet another correspondent declares that
terms of peace satisfactory to himself are ar
ranged and that he takes such ground on the
advice Of the German Emperor. That, too or
the latter part of il, is credible. II would be
Just like the German Emperor TO give such adj
vice Still, third correspondent, this time in
Paris. reports that Germany is urging modera-
ton upon the Sultan. Perhaps; but II seems
scarcely probable. Two other theories are also
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any of the foregoing. One is that Turkey, with
one Christian nation crushed beneath her feet,
with half million fighting men in the field, and
with her old martial spirit fully reused, is act
ually defying all Europe and aiming to renew
her earlier schemes Of conquest. The other Is
that Russia, for her own ends, is secretly back
!rg the Porte; which really seems, from cur
rent indications, the most probable of all.
In connection with this last theory it is in
teresting to observe that .umOr cOmes-sig-
nificantly enough. by way Of ST. Petersburg
that Russias protege, Bulgaria. is again getting
| restless and that its army ald people may force
its Government TO take action against Turkey.
That would of course mean that Russia had
given the signal for Bulgarian uprising. II
seems altogether probable that Bulgaria will
play q further part In the embodiment. Her
Fart thus far has been important, but not hon
cradle. In brief, she betrayed Greece to the
latter's ruin Prince Ferdinand Of Bulgaria
encouraged King George Of Greece TO go 10 war
with Turkey by explicitly promising to assist
him by raising sympathetic resurrection in
Macedonia, and then, as soon as the war be-
gan, rcpudiated his promise, left Greece to shift
for herself. and formed. or tried 10 form, an
anti-Greek league with Servia and Montenegro.
Such Is the fact as well known at Vienna, ac-
cording to one of the most trustworthy of polt-
lcal correspondents 1t arouses some curiosity
as to what part Bulgaria will next play as the
obedient servant OF Russia, and 1t throws an
interesting light upon the manner in which the