The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-20
Abdul Hamid and the Cruiser.

For nearly year a great many people
IN this country have wondered why moth
ing tangible has resulted from the severe.
steady. and relentless pressure which the
Administration has brought to bear upon
the Sultan of Turkey to induce that East
ern potentate to settle our missionaries
bill of damage for the destruction Of their
Armenian property in 1895. Nj. Mckinley
has endeavored to show his leading Mo-
hammedan brother ruler the wickedness
OF his course by keeping our Minister to
Turkey at home on full pay and with moth
ing TO do for two years. Mr.. Griscom.
Secretary of Legation at Constantinople,
has been doing a Minister'S duty on an in
terpreter's wages. The whole affair has
been involved in mystery until now. But
at last there is light.
Our great and good friend Abdul Hamid
does not like to pay missionary claims be-
cause ne is too civilized. If he were less
highly organized and illuminated mon
arch like the chiefs of Tahiti and Da-
honey, he might like missionaries in the
same way that Christians like turkey. and
sacrifice them on the affairs of their
Thanksgiving. But Hamid is of a different
nature. He neither enjoys missionaries
dietically nor otherwise, nor wishes nor
intends 10 Fay their bill; but he does
want to buy cruiser
This brings us up to date and to an in
teresting interview which our Charge
d'Afaires in Turkey has just had with the
Sultan. In the course of it, We are told,
the latter displayed great anxiety. and even
alarm. on account of stories he had heard
concerning the health of President McKin-
ley. Pictures of Roosevelt had been sur
reptitiously introduced into the "Yildiz
Kiosk and the Commander of the Faith
full, seeing them, had become much agi-
lated. He realizes what an heir apparent
OF the same kind would mean in the Otto
man Empire. and whatever he expects to
get out of this country in the way of credit
Tor war vessels, or other portable property,
he feels that he must arrange for without
loss of time.
He is not afraid that the negligible Ar
menian account will stand in the way of
pleasant negotiations for seagoing craft. He
knows that, while the missionary element
was pain and grievance, the Admins
tration has the Cramps; which is a much
more important consideration, now that the
Presidential election is over and must be
paid for. The agents of ''one of our best
business interests have been at the Tur-
kish capital Cor several weeks. Our repre-
sentative there is in duty bound to promote
his views. Whether he is or not, he
knows better than not so to do. We conf
IDENTIFY expect that the keel of fine Tur-
kish protected cruiser will be laid in this
country before next spring. Then, IL moth
ing should happen TO Mr.. McKinley's or
NJ. Hanna's health. it will go on to COM
pletion, and in due time some one or more
of our friend and subject Jolo's wives or
daughters will be asked over to break a
bottle of the Sultan's favorite New Eng
land rum over the bow. We presume that
Hanna fears the influence of the missionary
people and their spirit over the Crown |
Prince Theodore. in case the potentates ia |
vorable to Islam should be out of the way |
about that time. Were such a thing to |
happen TO the Moslem mind it might be |
conceivable that the missionaries would |
swoop down On the cruiser and attach il |
for their old Armenian claim. We do not |
assert that they would but 1t would be /
their chance, and the only one they are |
ever likely to- enjoy. to get even.