New-York tribune., 1900-03-21
RUSSIA IN ASIA MINOR.

The potential partition of the Ottoman En-
pire proceeds apace. Perhaps it would be less
| expeditions if British attention were not fixed
elsewhere. So at least declares the German
Embassy at Constantinople, in effect. saying
that Great Britain only would be able to check
mate Russas designs in Asia Minor. SO. too,
believes the Sultan himself, who longs to see
the British arms speedily successful IN South
Africa. so that they may be brought to his aid.
But the British Government has other fish TO
fry, and so the work Of spoation goes on un-
hindCred-a fact that win evoke few express
sions of regret from mankind at large. The rule
Of the knout is not desirable. but it may ration
ally be preferred TO that of the bowstring and
scmtar.
1t has been announced this week that the
Sublime Porte proposes that the railroads in
Asia Minor shall be constructed by Tsrkey and
Russia in partnership. but Russia declines this
offer and insists upon her original demand.
That demand was that an exclusive concession
should be granted to Russia to build and oper-
ate railroads in the northern part of Asia Minor
and to garrison the country with troops so far
as might be necessary for the safeguarding of
the lines. In other words. she proposed to take
military possession Of that part OF the Turkish
Empire. precisely she has taken possession of
Manchooria and other provinces of the Chinese
Empire. No wonder the Sultan hesitated to
grant such "A concession 1t would be pract-
| cally giving away one of the most valuable
! parts of his empire He has witnessed the
spoliation of his empire in Europe. and has even
come to regard with fatalistic serenity the pos
! sibility of its complete extinction and his own
/ expulsion from the western shore of the BOS-
| pOruS. But he has thought his Asian empire
| the old home of the Ottoman Turks. was GER
| tainly secure. Now. this Russian demand is
! that he shall surrender to the giaour Sugut and
| Broussa. the home of Ertughrul and the cradle
| of his race.
/ There has been a lot of bargaining about it,
| The Sultan some time ago offered TO give Rus
! sa preferential rights over all other European
! Powers but reserved for Turkey the right her
! self to build the railroads. That offer was re-
! jected, Russia demanding that the Turkish
| Government should deny itself the privilege Of
i building railroads in its own domnons. The
/ next temporizing proposal was that reported
! this week, that Turkey and Russia should
! Jointly do the work. That, tOo Russia rejects.
! Whether there will be any further attempt to
postpone the evil day is doubtful Russia is
| irexorable, and is showing signs Of impatience.
| Her influence is supreme In Servia and Bulgaria
and potent in Albania, and she has only to
| speak the word to call down thunderbolts from
! the traditional storm cloud in the Balkans
! Germany will not raise hand, and Great Brit
/
| then, but TO yield?
! Russias design Is, of course. evident. She
means TO confirm the Euxine in its estate as
! a Russian lake. She means to possess the
! whole southern shore of that sea and TO make an
| unbroken strip of Russian territory from the
| Caspian TO the Bosporus. That will be accom-
| plished when Trebizond and Sivas and Kasta-
| mum and AngOra and BrousSa and Asian Con-
| stantinOple are occupied by the railroad build
| erS and by the soldiers of the Gar or course
| German and French and British prospectors
| down in Syria. There is no thought of inter
| fering with the great German railroad through
| Syria and Mesopotamia to the Persian Gulf
| Russia does not demand the whole of the Otto
| man Empire, only the share that is due to Jrsa
| Major. But that share she is about to take with
| a strong hand while Great Britain is busy in
| South Africa. II is entirely conceivable how
| ever, that the latter circumstance is of no ac-
| count. Great Britain probably does not care
| about the matter If she wished to interfere
| she could. But she does not wish to do So It
| is for Germany and Russia to settle the matter
| between them. And the end of il will probably
| be that Russia will take the northern and Ger
many the southern part of Turkey in Asia and
| the last stand of Ottoman rule will be in Europe,
| after all. instead of Asia