The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-03-02
MR.. TONNES TURKEY TALK.

Towne has features that are somewhat novel.
He declares that while he member of
Congress the United States would have made an
armed interference in Turkey in behalf OF the Ar
menans but for the control of this country by the
bondhoders who own the Turkish bonds and did
not want the credit of the Sultan impaired This IS
news indeed DR.. Hepworth, an American citizen,
reports that the Armenian diff ~ulties were melted by
revolutionists who urged the Armenians to revolt
and then left them take the consequences. But, no
matter what the origin of the troubles the right Of
the United States to interfere cannot be demon
strated We have stood by the Monroe doctrine
since 1924 Our Interpretation of that doctrine is that
there shall be no further ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF terri
tory in this hemisphere by any European lower, and
that Europe shall not interfere in any way therein
This doctrine has, for its necessary counterbaance,
our absolute abstention from interference in the a-
fairs of the European hemisphere. Without this alb
stention the Monroe doctrine has no standing We
have no right to maintain it at all under any other
conditions The Washington administration and
Congress understood this perfectly We were at the
time spoken of by Mr.. Towne seeking from Eng
land peaceably if possible, acknowledgement of this
doctrine in the Venezuela affair. To have interered
in Turkey would have combined Europe in alliance
with England against us, and what we finally won
with peace and honor would have been ours only at
the close of successful against all Europe.
England gracefully yielded the point assened to
bitraton and the Venezuela incident closed with the
Monroe doctrine fairly written into international
law and with the Continental nations snarling Eng
land for her surrender. American diplomacy had
won distinguished victory.
Now Mr.. Towne in appealing to prejudice, throws
mud at this honorable chapter in history and at
tributes policy OF nonintervention in Turkey to
which alone success, to corrupt intrigue
between this country and the Turkish bondholders,
and declares the whole result to be due to the ma
chinatons of certain goldbugs
1t will go i'll with the country its policies to
be subjected to such ideas and put into the hands of
men who advocate them.
If we should interfere in contest between Turkey
and her Armenian subjects our interference must be
backed by an armed force, and that would a
declaration of war; and the theater of the contest
would be in European Turkey and Asia Minor. A
more Quixotc project cannot be imagined. 1t would
involve in all the foreign complications against
which this country has been warned by all of its pa
triot statesmen since Washington 1t would instantly
authorize and empower any and every Government
in Europe nrude in the affairs of this hemisphere
The chronic slaughter in the revolutions that are
continually progress in Central and South America
affords precisely the pretext for European in
reference that we have in the affairs OF Turkey.
Only the presence and position of the United States
prevent such interference Now when hold to
that preventive attitude Mr. Towne tells his country
men that not due to craftsmanship and high
sderations of national policy, but to the bribery OF
goldbugs and bondhoders His statement should
justly alarm every American who has high regard
for the honor of his country. 1t that if Mr.
Towne make zone OF that great host which in 1900
to meet in Washington to naugurate William J.
Bryan as President" this Government is to irnme-
diately dictatorship in European affairs and
assert suzerainty the Turkish empire 1t is well
that such apprentices in statecraft kept in private
life