The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-09
A vIgorous Foreign Po1lcr.


| The Mckinley administration, It seems,
is to be supplied with a vigorous foreign
policy. 1t is not to apply to Cuba, or
Spain, or Great Britain, or to any of our
near neighbors but to far-away Turkey.
The sublime porte is hedged about with
a great many difficulties just about this
time 1t is trying to ascertain the motif
of the concert of Europe. and the effort
is so exhausting that the sublime porte
is not disposed to pay a great deal of at
tention to anything else 1t is, indeed, in
the humor 10 quickly dispose Of minor
matters in the most expeditions manner
possible, in order that its attention may
not be distracted from the somewhat m
harmonious and yet enthralling concert
of the powers.
In this condition OF affairs, It Is under
stood, Uncle Sam has discovered his op.
portunity for pressing certain claims
against the government of Turkey. And
while the claims are being pressed, lie
viii have the pleasure OF bestowing
distinction upon the leading, all-'roun1,
catch-as-catch-can diplomat within his
domain.
During the anu-Armenian uprisings al
Harpoot, Erzroum and Bitlis in 1895 GER
tain property belonging to American mis-
sionary societies was destroyed or dam
aged, and certain missionaries were ar
rested. The societies and the missionaries
involved have lodged claims with the
state department for damages sustained.
The claims probably aggregate $4,000 to
$4,000 in property value. 1t Is
understood that the administration
proposes to press these claims
at once, through extraordinary
methods. A message from the President
is to be sent to congress shortly, which
will propose that the executive be author
lied to send a special commissioner to
Turkey, empowered to negotiate and set
tie the claims. Secretary Sherman ana
Senator'S Morgan, Chandler Lodge, Hoar
and Proctor have been consulted with re-
gard to the matter, and they are reported
to be unanimous in the opinion that some
very vigorous action ought to be taken to
bring the sultans government to terms
While no name is to be mentioned in
the Presidents message, it is pretty well
understood that ex-Secretary John w
Foster is to be the commissioner of this
government to Turkey. lie will have the
title of ambassador, and during the ne,
gotiations his authority will be para
mount. 1t was hoped by the administra-
ton so it is said, that Mr.. Foster might
be accredited permanently to Turkey as
ambassador, but as the sultan's govern
ment could not see it's way clear to re-
ciprocating by sending an ambassador to
Washington, that idea was abandoned,
and it was determined to send Mr.. Foster
as an ambassador temporarily. Mr.. Fos-
ter has been consulted with regard to the
matter. He has consented to accept; and
is sure he will be able to bring the sub
lime porte TO the point Of planking down
the cash in a short while. The Turkish
government is not in a position just now
to take on a quarrel with the United
States; 1t would be cheaper to pay the
American claims, and have done with
them. Mr.. Foster is quite sure he could
bring the porte to accept this view of the
situation.
When the settlement of the claims
shall have been effected Mr. Foster will
return to the United States, under the ar
rangement, and a minister plenipotenti-
airy will succeed him. Mr.. Foster himself
would not think of remaining as a mere
minister. He has outgrown that classi1-
cation. He will. however. remain in Con-
stantinople long enough to put into force
the vigorous foreign policy of the Nc.
Kfr1a aIr tatr fof, afref NH
eminent which cannot help itself.