Semi=weekly graphic., 1897-04-28
AFTER THE TURK.
THE CAR OF RUSSIA WANTS
THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE.
In Hope of Securing the sultan's
Dominions, Ineites the Trouble
That Has Led to War with
Greece.

Qftece anu turkey, III ID Sdlu, uOeS
not appear in the newspaper dis
patches, nor ia the diplomatic cor
respondenee It is the determine
ton Of the Car to crush the Sultan
and add the Ottoman empire to
Russia. The apparent cause, how
ever, is the interference Of Greece
in sae domestic affairs of Crete,
J which is a province Of Turkey, and
may be described as the Cuba o. the
Mediterranean There are many
points of resemblance between the
Cubans and the Cretans, and Greece
stands to the latter in a relation
similar to that we occupy to Cuba.
K our government should show the
same sympathy and offer the same
encouragement TO the Cuban revo
lutiouists that the Greeks have
given the rebellious Cretans, we
might be in a war with Spain. The
frequent revolutions in Crete have
usually been organized in Greece, as
those in Cuba have oeen organized
in the United States, but the Greek
government has not pretended to
enforce the neutrality laws. On the
contrary, it has openly sought the
annexation Of the island to which
it claims a title running back many
centuries to the time wien Greece
was a powerful nation.
Last year the massaeres in Arlne-
MIA was melted by Russian intrigue,
with the expectation that they would
end in the dissolution of Turkey,
but the Sultan conducted himself
with such skill and diplomacy that
he was able to crawl out of the
trouble. He saved himself from
punishment by "bluffing' all the
rest Of Europe. The revolution in
Crete is believed by diplomatists to
have originated in similar manner,
with the same motives, for the same
object, and Greece is supposed to be
the decoy which Russia is using to
involve Turkey in war in which
sooner or later the Car will take n
hand.
For many centuries Crete was q
part of Greece The inhabitants are
mostly off Grecian ancestry. They
belong to the Greek Catholic church,
of which the Gear is the recognized
head, as the Pope is the head of the
Roman Catholic church. They have
been in a state of rebellion ever
since Crete was annexed to Turkey.
| In 1868, after war that lasted
several years and was likely to ex
terminate the inhabitants and ruin
the industries of the island, the
great powers of Europe interfered
and compelled the Sultan to give
CretaIs form OF home rule SINH
lar in some respects to that offered
Cuba by the government of Spain,
including u legislative assembly
elected by the people and Christ
ian for civil governor. But the
laws adopted by the Cretan assem-
bly, have been usually vetoed by the
Sultan, and the military command
ant, who has always been Turk
and Mussulman, has continually
usurped the authority of the civil
governor, and has attempted to con-
troll civil affairs. The other officials
Of the island being responsible only
to the Sultan, have outraged the
people, so that the autonomy OF
Crete has been only pretense.
The latest difficulty was over the
management of finances. The Sui
tan, being very hard up, persuaded
the Turkish collector Of. taxes in
ECrete to divert about $500, 900 OF
the proceeds of the tax on tobacco
to the use OF the Turkish govern
/ IueHt. l. lie AftlotiS ucludhucu VdV
Reimbursement OF that sum. The
Sultan refused and provoked an
agitation throughout Crete which
Fcaused continual collision between
the citizens and the military guards,
and resulted in an open rebellion OF
the Christians, which was encour-
aged and aided by Greece. Abso-
Ilute autonomy was demanded by
some, and annexation by Others,
and finally the Greek army was sent
to the assistance of the rebels. The
powers Of Europe intcryened,
Greece was forbidden to interfere,
but declined to obey, 50 that finally
a collision occurred between the
Greek and Turkish troops and war
was declared.
/ Mr..L. 4. Owens Is now sojournins