New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-03
EUROPEAN DIPLOMACY.
THE NEW TREATY OF PEACE-BRITISH
POLICY ESSENTIALLY NON-EUROPEAN
AND DIRECTED FROM THE
ENDS OF THE EARTH.

AND DIRECTED FROM THE
ENDS OF THE EARTH.
London. September %.
The signing Of the preliminary treaty OF peace
between Turkey and Greece brings to close
one OF the most disheartening and melancholy
chapters Of the Eastern Question. There are
loud outcr.es Of Indignation and resentment
from, Athens and there are piteous walls Of dis
tress from "The Daily Chronicle" the one SIN
cera ~ sometimes overzealous, friend OF Greece.
,.hos. voice has been heard in Europe, but the
o,.roa result IS hailed with acclamations from
-, initial as triumph Of diplomacy. The
a,,,o,s NJ peace are onerous indeed to the
d.saated nation: for frontier which was indie
>.rsibIa before is altered as to give the Turks
averv advantage of position: and heavy IN
dsmnity is forced upon a bankrupt treasury un-
dor European taskmasters. The Powers nave
done much however, to mitigate the suferings
n, the Greeks They have ordered practical
method for the delverance OF TEessaly from
Turkish occupation. and they have reduced the
NOR indemnity from S1OOO00OO to S4,OO,OU.
They have also left Crete under European
protectorate. whatever it may be worth.
automatically the honors OF this settlement
ARE divided between England and "ermahS'
Lord Salisbury has labored pcrsstently to bring
troops; and although bafled and thwarted by
c.ruorv at every turn of the negotiations he
has succeeded in his main purpose the greeks
, regain possession Of Thessaly, with
,ror.,er more omen to attack than 1t was pefore'
,, s,iu practically without serious loss or terri
tory They may refuse in a paroXysm OF poii''-
cal excitement to accept the treaty. but this wiz
he a moor return for Lord Salisbury's ianor+'
efforts IN their behalf The German Emperor
on the other hand has had the satisfac''oh u
revising Lord Sasburys proposals io' pea
and of doing a good stroke OF business io' Inv
German creditors Of the existing "ieV" ~
c.or.;rr ort with The malevolent gospei or
Beati possidentes originally proclaimed ps '','
bismarck he has been ready to sahc''o' ar "
definite occupation Of Thessaly by the VI Nc
and II he has finally consented 10 the uo'''e'
go. or Greek territory from foreign DONNA
ton Il has only been with the unuer9' a"
that German creditors should henen' oH '"e a.
,aan,erts for international financial control
Prussia has remained in the background uu'-
tho tho negotiations and with France mas oe-
cliped a. the last moment to Join England III I"
guarantee OF the interest. which would nave eN-
nedited the floating Of indemnity loan ana
the evacuation OF Thessav. Her motives nav
been unintelligible from the outset except o''
the theory that she wants to have no siiia''
r,vols when the dissolution Of the ottoman FIN
p,re ultimately occurs Weak ihaepehue''
States like Bulgaria and Greece VIII s'ahu III
her way when Constantnonle and Asa MIN,
are open for conquest. one OF THESE Siii"''
States has been weakened and desraded during
the last year and this is III accord WIN pe
secret motives of Russian diplomacy. which IS
o,,,vs looking a long way ahead into the nlSs-
,er,ous future The Sultan, rejoicing IN the
restoration OF his prestige and authority, IS wen
content with the situation. Two years age
Lord Salisbury was holding over MIN IN
menace Of the downfall Of his Empire ana me
civilized world recoiling In horror from
crimes for which he was Justly held accouh'ap'e'
He is powerful again and the nero 81 inc
Mahometan world. a war indemnity "hlch VIII
enrich his impoverished .reasury is now almost
within reach If his itching palms
DECLINE OF ENGLISH INFLUENCE
While Lord Salisbury has carried his main
,oin. IN the negotiations at Constan'inople a1d
enabled Greece to retain Thessay by paying the
war indemnity and submitting to European con
troll over a large portion Of the natlonai revenue
the moral of the whole chapter ~ the d'p'"'aos
If the Eastern question heglr ming WIN me AT
menian massacres and ending with the treaty OF
neace is that English influence on the CONT
nent has declined Twenty years ago Lord hea-
consfield de1ed Russia at the close or ner 'ic'o
rious campaign with Turkey. and Win the heip
of Prince Bismarck compelled her to submit the
treatv Of San Stefano TO European revision. Dur
ing the last two years Lord Salisbury mas pceh
unable to command the support Of any European
power and unwilling to take bold. resolute
ooursa in dealing with the Armenian and Greek
questions Two minor successes he has been able
N score--an ambiguous European protectorate
over Crete and Turkish evacuation OF Ihesaiiy
dependent upon Greek loan without ih'erna-
tional guarantee-but these are insignificant IN
comparson with the humiliatins failures 10 avert
massacres In the Sultan's Asiatic Commons 20
punish the Great Assassin for his monstrous ca
reer OF crime and TO protect the Greeks aga'ns,
the fatal consequences Of mpulsiVe ana generous
action. England moral influence has not been
brought to bear with authority and power at any
stage OF these disgracefu intrigues and negotia-
lions from which the Sultan energies in tri-
u,nnh UNPUBLISHED for his crimes and greatly
strengthened In resources and prestige.
What fact in diplomacy can be clearer tnan
.na cornnlete Isolation of England In all Euro
mean questions? Ten years ago LORD Rosepery
declared that "our great empire has puiied US
so 10 speak by the coatta'ls out OF me European
svs.cm: and though with our great predomi-
rarcs our grea, moral influence ana our great
eeet with our traditions in Europe and with our
aspirations 10 preserve the peace % ho.oP''
ran never remove ourselves altogether from "e
1,,,ona,r svster,. we must recognize that our
tora,.r no,icv has become colonial policy, and
60 IN reality AT this moment much more dictated
from the extremities o. the empire thah IL Is
from London itself" England was startled 'heh
by this bold declaration, and unprepared 10 ac-
cept It as an accurate summary OF the 'enoe"'
ces o, her foreign and imperial poiicy. Ihere
can be less scepticisr now respecting IT'S aoso-