Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-26

ro,I3v,ina the latest Turkish atrocity-
The massacre OF 100 Armenians al Ioka'-
,ya have another act In the long-drawn-
out farce the representatives OF t"e
Powers have been playing AZ Cohs'ah-
,Inople. Nor. In the main, has the ne"
act the virtue OF originality. IL carries
tho same old story Of the Powers press
ing the Sultan, and threatening are
,bings n no does not mend his ways
the only departure from its predecessors
being .he introduction of niue
fresh stage business. The performance
Is disgusting TO all. save the Great AS
sas,;jn whom II ticHles wonderfully,
and who Is laughing in his sleeve AZ IT,
AS 10 the details OF the performance
we are told that there was conference
of the ambassadors at Constantinope
over the Tokat massacre, a meeting OF
the Sultans ministers, at the emu OF
which a promise was sent TO the ainpas-
sailors that the Sultan would punish
somebody. and a stern notification TO the
Porte from the ambassadors that FUR
Their outbreaks I'm Armenia would not
pass without vigorous action on the part
of the Powers. All this, however, Is
simply a repetition Of what we nave
heard dozen times before, perhaps
since the present series Of butcheries IN
Armenia began. The new stage business
IS represented in an intimation that, If
fresh outbreaks occur in Armenia, pub
lie opinion in Great Britain, Italy, and
France will force the governments OF
these countries TO change entirely their
attitude on the Cretan question. not
only as regards Crete. but as regards
Greece, as wei. Indeed. a dispatch from
Constantinople states that already the
British admiral commanding the squad
ron i'm that quarter of the world has been
instructed TO take no active part in the
proposed blockade of Greek ports: but to
"acquiesce" in it. in order 10 prevent an
open rupture with the other Powers.
"Acquiescew Aye, there's the rub. De-
spite the leading role she has hitherto
assumed in the farce. had Great Britain
broken entirely away from the compact
at this juncture. there would have been
some hope that the cause Of civilization,
Of liberty. and of religious freedom was
at last about 10 be indicated. In view
OF Italy's Mediterranean interests, and
of the antagonism between Austria-Hun-
gary and Russia that had developed out
Of the crisis, and has been intensified by
the report that Russia has agreed TO
guarantee the integrity of the Ottoman
empire. in exchange for Mount Athos and
a Mediterranean island. an independent
stand on the part of Great Britain would
mean the end Of the concert. Logically,
Great Britain would set the pace for
Austria Hungary and Italy, seeing that
a Russian possession on the Athos Pc
hinsula. where in a monastery the Car
has already practically a garrison, and
an insular stronghold in the Mediter-
ranean, would prove a serious menace
TO Italian and Austro-Hungarian pres
tige Especially would the Athos pos
session prove a menace to the ambition
Of the dual monarchy, as II would be
stepping-stone TO the command of Sa-
lonica. 1t would seem, therefore, that
the part Great Britain is paying in the
latest act of the farce shows that Sails
bury fears, on the one hand, to provoke
British public sentiment too far; and
on the other dares not force Russia TO
uncover her real policy and designs.