Evening star., 1898-08-24
Abdul Hands Reply to Uncle sam.

Abdul Hamid's Reply to Uncle Sam.
The Sultan of Turkey was in one respect
| fortunate in the time chosen by him for
| the submission of his recent reply to the
| United States relative to the payment of
! claims growing out of the Armenian riots.
| The people and the government here were
deeply absorbed just then in the over
wkelming matter of freeing Cuba and re-
| ducing Spain to proper state of mind
| concerning her duty in the premises.
| There was much rejoicing over the un-
| broken succession of victories. and the ma
| tiCn was probably more closely occupied
| with a single subject than at any other
| time since the cause of the disagreement
| with Turkey developed. Thus the sultan S
refusal to recognize the American claims
| passed for the time somewhat unnoted
| and did not evoke the full degree of re-
sentiment which its terms would have
| aroused under normal circumstances.
n another respect the sultans PROPOSE
| TONS come inopportunely for him. for they
arrive at a period of unusual patriotism, OF
aroused national feeling and military en-
terprise. The recent demonstration of the
American proves by land and sea has
wrought the fighting spirit to almost
unprecedented height, and 1t is not diff
cult to foresee an outburst of resentment
against the Turk on the part of this
country when its people begin to contem-
plate seriously other foreign relations than
those affecting Spain.
During the riots in Armenia, which were
then and are yet popularity believed to have
been inspired by the porte, the property
of certain American missionaries was de-
stroyed and the missionaries themselves
were able barely to escape with their lives.
This government promptly entered claim
for reimbursement and the case became
part of the diplomatic material that has
accumulated so steadily at Constantinope
fer many years. Something more than the
average insistence on the part of the
claiming government brought the sultan
to a realization that he had not to deal
with one of the European monarchies, all
Of which are mere or less involved in the
complex political relations affecting the
sick man" Still there was no DISPOSE
tion to grant the demands, and after much
pressing and urging the porte has con-
serted to give formal reply to the effect
that the governmen mt of Turkey cannot hold
itself responsible for losses incidental to
riotng on the part of the people, citing
several modern instances of the rejection
of claims on similar grounds and in par
tiCUlar bringing to note the principle upon
which this country has uniformly moved
in relation to foreign claims growing out
of mob violence. Unfortunately for the
sultan, however, this proposition cannot be
considered apart from the nature of the
Armenian troubles, which We're in a large
degree official and political. OF course It
will not suffice for this country merely to
assert in terms that the porte was re-
sponsible for the riots. Proof is not ready
at hand to support such a claim. But 1t
does appear from the records that the gov
erEment of Turkey took such steps to
suppress the riots or to protect the prop
erty of the foreigners would have been
taken by any of the governments cited in
the sultans reply Thus the parallel does
not continue to the end. The sultan is
handicapped in his references by his noto-
rious desire to crush out Christianity in
Armenia and to exterminate the race if
necessary, to prevent the growth of an
The issue with this country, therefore, is
as to whether its moral case which is
as good can be, is at the same time Ie-
galiy strong. From the point of view of
national or international righteousness the
United States is assuredy justified in in
sisting upon its demands regardless of the
sultans disclaimer of responsibility and
In going TO the extreme limit of its power
to enforce its claims. 1t would be a whole
some spectacle for the powers if after
sweeping Spain out of this hemisphere the
American republic were to do Europe the
favor OF dealing vigorously with the mur-
derous and insolent Mahometan.