The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-24
The European BLACK Cabinet"

While we are told that the negotiations for
peace between Turkey and Greece are pro-
ceeding satisfactorily, reports come that the
Turks are secretly planting cannon along the
.rests Of the Othrys Mountains overlooking
the valley Of the Sperchius. The old Monas-
terry Of Andinitsa, too, with It's exquisite
spring of ice cold water on the mountain
top, coming from no one knows where, has
heen burnt by the w~ell-controlled troops Of
EpHEM Pasha, and a Turkish fertilization
Ioade out Of it's ruins. And to prove how
satisfactorily the peace negotiations are
proceeding, the Sultan keeps pouring troops
and war material into Thessaly. The sat
isfaction apparently is all on his side. for
we learn that these proceedings, and the
discovery of Turkish scouts moving about
rt night in the neutral zone marked out
between the two armies, are raising much
apprehension among the Greeks. The stu
ition Is certainly most peculiar, and, in
these days of telegraph wires and special
correspondents, is unprecedented for the
paucity of information obtainable about 1t.
Trustworthy news from Asia Minor, how
over. discloses activity indicative of prep.
arations for n denouement not hitherto
expected. The Russian Government has
ordered its agents in the parts that have
been the scenes of the more recent mas
racres to report upon the condition of the
towns and villages. The Consul at Khar-
put has gone to Eghin, where the last
most deliberate and unprovoked slaughter
of an unarmed and unresisting population
took place, charged by order Of his Gov
ernment to make full inquiry into the de-
- ~ e. IL -
be moved to take these steps by the strong
sentiment of the Russian people, who have
oeen stirred deeply by the events of the
last two years. At the same time the Rus
sian troops in the district of Kars toward Err.
zcroum have been increased, and on the Ar
arat frontier toward Bayazid, near the Per
sian boundary, a considerable Russian force
has been concentrated. All this is reported
to have disturbed the Sultan much, and
to have been the cause for his ordering the
Turkish army on the Russian frontier to
be strengthened.
These results can hardly flow out of the
negotiations that are going on in the dark
ri Constantinople. with the amiable and
;rresolute TEwFIK Pasha acting as the in
oermediary between his master and the
agents of the discordant concert. They
come of the uncertainty attending the re-
suits of the deliberations of the conference
at Constantinople, which is conducting
matters of worldwide Importance much
after the manner of a black cabinet of the
middle ages. Even IL peace Is the outcome
o: all the delay and counsel that have been
going on since the armistice began, it
promises to be a patchwork affair only,
with little durability. TIL evidence of
this is afforded by the extraordinary sums
being voted in every country of Europe for
naval purposes and the general prepare
tions for emergencies, the nature of which
will appear when the decisions OF the
conferences between the concert and the
Turk are made known, and the way in
which they are carried out by the latter is
seen. The Sultan will be n good deal iniu.
snced by what is taking place along his
Asiatic frontier