The San Francisco call., 1898-02-06
Trouble Fermented by Bands of Professional
 RevolutiOnists.
Several Hundred Miserable Rogues" Encouraged by
 England and Russia.
REFORMS NOT TO BE MADE
Turkey Will Never Adopt Practical Measures and All Europe
 Cannot Compel Her.
Copyright. 1898. by James Gordon Bennett.

Copyright, 1Sss by James Gordon. Bennett
 NEW YORK, Feb. 5.-The Herald's mission to Armenia has been complet- ed, and Dr. Hepworth's last letters from Asiatic Turkey will be printed Tn the Herald tomorrow. They possess an extraordinary interest, summar1z- ing, as they do, the results of a most thorough investigation of the question which has so long been agitating the civilized world. The most important of the letters is dated "On board the Gle opatra, bound for Constantinople, Jan. g, 1S9S," and in it Dr. Hepworth says:
 '"The Armenian massacres were caused by Armenian revolutionists, and if these revolutionists had kept quiet there would never have been any mas sacres. That is true beyond the possi- bility of denial. These rogues, few miserable hundred of them, have caused all the trouble, while they themselves have escaped from the Consequences of their guilt. They would have been com paratively poWerleSs, though, but for the expressed or tacit sympathy of England and Russia. England has in- spired them with the notion that they are patriotic heroes, and they have traded on that fact and made their liv- ing out of it. They steal their way into villages, stir the inhabitants with the hope of autonomy, declaring that all they have to do is to place themselves in open revolt, and then the great pow
 CTS will rush to their aid and make them into sort of Bulgaria. England is undoubtedly responsible for a great 1ao1 hof hoc toIy ralo lcri, 1cr these refugees and melting them to do work which has already involved their countrymen in almost irretrieyable ruin.
 If there were any chance of Arme- nian success the game would be well worth the candle, and the object in view quite worth the sa crifice neces- sary to accomplish it. We Americans know that freedom is worth any price which circumstances demand, but England is perfectly well aware that it would be far easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for ArmenianS to achieve autonomy, and her sympathy with the professional revolutionists Is simply criminal. AS for Russia, she guards her frontier with sedulous care, except when an Armenian with a box of guns wishes to cross, and then she shuts her eyes and lets him go. He will play into her hands, without doubt, for disturbed and embarrassed Turkey may afford her the opportunity which she has long been seeking.
 "The most threatening spot in Ana tolia is the region of Van. It is within few hours of the Persian frontier, and Is positively invested with these troublesome mischief makers. They cross the border, preach revolt to Ar menians-to those who will listen, at least-and then go back to place of safety. Van is, therefore, at once the hardest vilayet in Asia Minor to gov ern, and a serious menace to continued peace. In a word, it is a prophecy of bad times to come. Imprison these few hundred revolutionists and there would be no fear of the future. Of course | Turkey is not blind to this fact but she prefers to pursue the barbarous policy of wholesale murder, with the hope of exterminating the race. The truth is, Turkey is easily thrown into a fright, and she imagines things to be a thousand times worse than they are. She can only claim charitable judgment on the ground that she has been panic stricken, and during a pe- riod of mental alteration has done deeds which have made the world won der.
 Another fact with regard to the present condition of Turkey has been | forced upon me, namely, that a coun- try which never builds roads has no commercial future and will suffer in the sharp competition for the worlds s trade Moreover, it is clear to me that Turkey will never organize practical reforms. Not all the powers of Europe can force them on her. She doesn't know how to reform, Is quite content to remain as she is and hates all in l novations, even in the shape of im- provements."