New-York tribune., 1900-04-19
THE TROUBLEWITHTURKE Ely
A STRONG AMERICAN FLEET MAY POS
SIBLY GO TO THE MEDITERRANEAN.
MINISTER STRAUs NOT TO RETURN TO
CONSTANTINOPLE UNTIL THE IN
DEMNTTY is PAID
GBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE ]

Washington, April 1S-No instructions from
the State Department were forwarded to-day to
this country's Charge d'Affaires al CONSTANT
nople calculated to disturb the serenity of the
Sultan perhaps because Secretary Hay
away for the day. In fact. the State Department
betrayed few evidences of perturbation in view
of the admittedly strained relations which exist
between the United States and the Sublime
Porte Assistant Secretary Adee made the rounds
of the bureaus, bidding every one farewell for a
few months tour in Europe. as if he anticipated
a dull season in diplomatic affairs between now
and July. when he will return to his post. The
only disclosure of the day related to Minister
Straus whose leave of absence from his post
has almost expired. He Is not to go back to
Stamboul until after Turkey has cancelled its
debt of honor to this Government This contin-
gency IS regarded a virtual retirement of Mr.
Straus from public life, least for a period
more less brief
STRONG HINT GIVEN BY MIR. STRAUS.
1t appears that the American Minister'S last
interview with the Sultan was painful to that
potentate, who had long regarded Mr.. Straus
with distinguished favor. The Americans in
f1uenCe with the Sultan had long been envied by
the other members of the Diplomatic Corps at
Pera, and 1t common knowledge that
foreigner since S. S. Cox's time had established
such cordial relations personally with THE Sick
Man of Europe" Before coming home recently
Mr.. Straus told the Sultan bluntly that he would
not remain post where 1t appeared he had
not sufficient influence to collect a confessed
Judgment that ii was too humiliating to him
to continue the accredited representative OF a
great Nation to a Government which repudated
a just debt of such insignificant amount and
declared that he would go home and advise the
President against maintaining a Legation In
Turkey.
Under these circumstances it seems that the
Sultan is already in possession of something
more than an intimaton of the frank displeas-
of the United States and is aware that his
own Minister in Washington. who has been here
more than year will therefore become super
fiuous 1t may be said the highest authority
that such a contingency dismissing the anlia
BILE Ali Ferrouh Bey with his passports has never
for moment been contemplated, for the rea-
son that it thought in official circles that
the Minister and his wife would not remain for
any length of time after the permanent retire.
ment of Mr.. Straus
MAY BE FORCED TO SEND A FLEET
There is phase of the dispute and the efforts
for its settlement which developed to-day
that may force the United States eventually to
order a fleet to the Mediterranean of sufficient
strength to overcome any forcibe resistance
Turkey may offer to the seizure Of the port of
Smyrna, after the fashion of the British per-
formance at Corinto when Nicaragua demurred
to ultmatum. This relates to the status of
organized American mission work in the Otto
Empire II is not believed that the rupture
of relations would add TO the security or .neSe
missionary establishments. 1t is the complaint
Of the Turkish Government that the vast pre-
ponderance of the native population is opposed
to these Christian enterprises, which are di-
rected against their national religion. The pres
ent trouble is laid to the same cause. and its
ageravation would almost certainly result in the
expulsion of alien missionaries and worse treat
ment for native converts.
The result could hardly be less than the
sumption of the only means left open to pre-
serve the National dignity and fleet Of the
finest ships of the Navy would have to go to
Smyrna, regardless of European conditions.