The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-16
THE SULTAN'S REPLY.
Abdul Hamid's Reply to the Powers
Regarded as InsOIent.

Regarded as InsOIent.
LONDON, May 1.-THE Sultan's reply to
the note of the ambassadors at CONSTANT
nople, Offering mediation, saying he would
be ready to discuss the matter after the
greater bairam festival which ends on Sun
day night, justifies the fear that the pow
ers have drawn a geni out of the war that
will not be easy to get back. Abdul Hands s
answer is cool almost to the point of inso"
lence. 1t is that of a sovereign with
powerful army behind him and he is dis
posed to treat the powers cavalierly.
Articles published in the semi official
press of the continent show that the in
crease in the prestige of the Sultan is the
chief concern of the European Cabinets,
and that the prospects Of an effective en-
forcement of general reforms for the Turk
ish empire are thereby relegated to the
very distant future.
The Journal Des Debats declares that the
result Of the war has been to place Turkey
in a position she has not held for the past
half century, adding: Her tremendous
military effort is largely in excess of what
the struggle against Greece requires. 1t
was done to refute the allegation OF decrep-
itude and to demonstrate to the sultan
own subjects and to those of the smaller
states and to the great powers that Ipr-
key is able to hold her own WS against other
dangers than a war with Greece.
The British, Russian and Austrian news
paper echo these remarks, and 1T is gen
orally felt that this fact will have to be
reckoned with in the negotiations upon the
conditions of peace. In the meanwhile the
postponement of the Sultan's reply until
after the great batram Is interpreted as
meaning that his Majesty intends that his
army shall continue its victorious advance
until every strategic point on the Othrya
mountain range is in the hands 0t the
Turks, and that only then Will Edhem
Pasha receive orders to stop hghlng. The
resumption of fighting by the Greeks in
Epirus is regarded as a foolish move, and
only furnishes Turkey with plausible mo-
tive for refusing an arm1st1ce. 1t also nm
ders the progress of the peace negotiations.
The Chancellories are also occupied with
the difficult problem of how Greece will
pay the war indemnity which Turkey
seems certain to demand. M; Delyannls,
the former Greek premier, in his neWspa-
per- sanguinely argues that Greece cannot
be expected to pay an indemnity because
the Turks declared war officially without
prOvocation." This view of the question is
not shared elsewhere and an international
commission to administer the finances of
Greece on the lines of the similar Turkish
commission, is mooted. The Greek COM
mission would, it is proposed, sit at Athens
and take over the Greek customs for the
nayrnent of the Greek debt and possibly
for the war indemnity
The Sultan of Turkey is now rivaling
Emperor William of Germany as sender or
telegrams and as a patron OF the arts.
bdul Hamid sent a dispatch to President
Faure expressing sympathy with the fam
flies of the victims of the charity bazaar,
and the Sultan has now instructed Edhem
Pasha the Turkish commander in Thessaly,
10 take special care OF the works of an
tiouity in Greece and to prevent his soldiers
from doing any damage to them. The Turk
ish general was further instructed to dis
patch all the movable arucleS OF value I'M
mediately to the Ottomon Museum at Con-
e,ra rIroIa