New-York tribune., 1900-12-09
TURKISH FINANCES.
BIG RUSSIAN DEBT WHICH THE SULTAN
HAS BEEN EVADING.

HAS BEEN EVADING.
Current reports relative TO the alleged payment
by Turkey Of the long standing American claim
Of about $4,000, and the Sultan's order for the
building at Cramps yard OF a cruiser call atten-
ton TO the present condition OF financial ad-
ministration I'm the Mahometan empire And so
much more so because It happened that Russia
was pressing her own big claims against Turkey
al the same time the United States was insisting
upon the payment of it's comparatively small hill
The Russian claim dates from the Berlin Congress
where II decided that the war indemnity
owed by vanquished Turkey should not be COM
prised in the Consolidated Ottoman Debt which
Turkey agreed 10 settle by successive payments TO
her creditors. Russia and the Porte established by
a special convention the mode OF payment Of tho
war indemnity and fixed what securities should be
affected thereby. II was agreed therefore. in an
arrangement made I'm 1881 between Mr.. De Novi-
kof and Mr. Won Thoerner. that the Ottoman Cow
ernment should pay every year a sum OF $4,000
Turkish pounds. In the payment of this annuity
were affected the revenues of the taxation on
sheep together with those Of the 1.-THE upon
cereals In divers sandiaks OF districts about the
Armenian region. II happened that the Turks al
ways short OF money. appropriated 10 their own
use the proceeds OF the above mentioned taxes
ana that from the very first year there some
arrears In the payment of the war indemnity the
Muscovites
The latter did not complain for they intended
70 use these non-payments OF Turkey as a Damoc-
less sword 10 obtain all kinds OF political and
commercial advantages from the Sultan, like. for
instance. the preferred privilege OF building and
OF the Black Sea.
But the arrears the Russian debt became
"a every year, ani they amount TO about
1-OoOyo oI lurklsn pounds This bill has been pre-
Senteu lately Dy Mr.. ZinoView. the Muscovite Am
Dnssauor 10 Ihe Forte. almost I'm the form of
payment, might be compelled to proceed a mill
tary occupation OF the Viayets or provinces OF Err
zeroum ana Trebizond in order TO seize the securi-
. nsS ahS nc revenues which We're pledged for the pay
The Porte does not know where to procure the
hSheg 10 race the MuscOvite demand for IL has
,S, ~ cfeof, even among the Levantine
nsurers- Still, the Empire is full OF resources,
which only need 10 be better husbanded than in the
passc MS would require radical Transformation
~ otlay OF tle pohtcal but also OF the moral con-
ne Segenteenth century by the Kupruli. and nota-
biy oy Mustapha Kupruli, called the Virtuous''
py % me people. there has not been Sultan
crane NlAer 70 try 10 put stop TO the pillage
ne past ana the present times is that formerly the
SuItah or Grand tizier began by setting aside the
suos hseessaFy 70 the different services of the
state before satisfying the caprices and exgencies
o. the seragHo. Now, all funds pass through the
fALaCss anG the public administrations get out
from dllneultles the best they
naturally. IN the budget estimates the expenses
or the Palace are placed a low hgure. But when
IL needs this or that amount Of money the Palace
asks tor II from one Of the departments, which
procures IL. after having written Il to the account
OF real or fictitious chapter OF its own budget
This explains how. according recent dispatches
the turkish Ministers and Ambassadors abroad
a complaint TO the Sultan. He has ordered also
the payment OF the money due the battalIons az
his Imperial Guard. barracked at Yidiz Kiosk and
who had refused 20 perform any military Service
congratulaton II the dispatches reporting the nav
ment CT The American claim proved 10 be corre.t