Birmingham state herald., 1897-04-04
THE SITUATION IN EUROPE Strenuous Efforts Looking to an AmicabIe Adjustment.
  OF THE AFFAIRS IN CRETE  With England Taking Leading Hand, Is Now
 the Status.
sALISBURYS MOVEMENTS ABROAD
Lead Many to Believe France Holds the Winning Card-Turkey and Greece Known to Be Seeking an Adjust
 ment-Important Council.
Copyright 1897 by the Sun Printing and
 Publishing Association.)

Copyright 1897 by the Sun Printing and
 Publishing Association)
 London, April 3-Although the outlook in the east seems darker than ever there are two potent influences for peace which are being ussd at the present moment with the most energetic determination They are the manifold resources of the inancial world and that personal, but rarely exercised political power which the allied royal families of England, Denmark, Russia and Greece have at their command. It is unn: cessary to point out that official interests are al- ways on the side of peace. There is good reason for believing that they have been esp cially appealed to in the pres ent emergency, however The pivotal point of the financial world just now is Paris. Lord Salisbu1y's visit to the French capital last week was not entirely for the purpos- of consulting M. Hano- tauX, the French foreign minister. He saw there certain men whose silent po- litical financial influences is most potent in the affairs of Europe. The French government is more susceptible to the influence of kings of finance than any other. It is hardly going too far to say that no Ffencn ministry QdFSS to SeliOuS- ly oppose thes- msn.
 If, therefore, Lord Salisbury was able to convince such men as the Rothsehilds that his policy was the safest In dealing with Turkey and Greece, the co-opera- tions of France would be as good as se- cured. The situation must, of course, be 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. There is little doubt that King George, of Greece, will give great weight and coun- sourc+, even if he does not adopt its sug- gestion 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. as-..-a,s
 All the members of the household are bound together by the ties of affection which are peculiarly strong. This has been demonstnl ted in scores of ways within the past six weeks. The telegram m of the Dowager Empress Of RusS.a TO King George at the outset of the trouble, which so puzzled the diplomatic world, was undoubtedly genuine. l learned re- ,cehtly on an authority that is beyond question of an equally remarkable dis patch sent by the Princess of Wales to Queen Victoria at the moment when Prince George of Greece sailed for Crete
 
 in these words: 'I beg, I implore you, to use all your influence to prevent the interna tional fleet from firing upon the Greek ships"
 There is no doubt that the queen did all her daughter-in-law asked, and more. She is restraining Lord Salisbury in every possible way from adopting severe pol icy toward Greece.
 The persistency with which the report that Turkey and Greece are negotiating directly has held its ground, despite more or less authorita tive denials, is almost of itself sufficient to justify some belief in its accuracy. As a matter of fact, the re- port originated more than 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. It may have been at the time a mere kite flown for r.he purpose 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 position 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 a good deal of mystery, but rhe belief in the best informed quarters here is that if the porte and the Athens
 
 will end the present situation in Crete, the powers will be only too glad to acqui- esce. The probability is that the sultan is actuated by the paramount need of money, and knows as well as anybody that European financiers are 'powerless, even if 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 ma5-ters, which is not surprising, seeing that he has first call on everything and has no false delicacy in exerting it, no matter how deplOrable may be the ma l. tional exchequer but the strain of the military preparations is beginning to tell everywhere, and it is almost incredible lthat.i it can be endured much longer. There is reason to believe that Sir Ed gar Vincent, president of the Ottoma n bank, has undertaken TO place loan of $50,000,000 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, if not worse, there really ought to be no great difficulty in fixing an arrangement soothing ito the self-love of both parties.
 As for the situation in Crete itself. noth- ing could be more disgraceful to the six inpotencies of Europe. The statement from Col. Vassos, the Greek commander, is true in every particular. The policy of the admirals and their governments is impossible and indefensible. Even Lord Salisbury's supportsrs in this coun- try are wondering how long it will be persisted in.
 It seems to be generally expected that next Tuesday, the Greek independence day, will be a critical moment on the Thessalian and Macedonian frontier. The question of beginning hostilities rests more with the Greek National society than with King Georges government. If an advance Is ordered by this society there is doubt that war will begin and the government will.be compelled to ap- prove of it or abandon their authority.