Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-09-07

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the victory greatly aiding the Greeks
IN achieving their independence
AS the Christian powers have ad-
vanced the Turkish empire has CORE.
spondingly retrogressed. II has been
shorn Of more and more OF It's territory
IN each century for the past 300 years
until II is now protected only by its own
weakness, while II inspires no suspicion
or dread and has become an object
more OF pity than OF fear. yet sufficient.
ly powerful as a mischief maker to set
all Europe ablaze from one end to the
other.
Take the Crimean war for example
Turkey dates her admission into the
political system OF Europe only from
1901 and has been associated In polite
society for scarcely 60 years. II came
about somehow that the integrity Of
Turkey became a cardinal principle
OF European diplomacy This was
strengthened by the coalition of Eng
land, France and Sardinia with Turkey
against Russia, resulting In the Crime
an war the discontinue of Russia and
the naturalization Of the Black sea by
the treaty of Paris, 1856. France and
England fought shoulder to shoulder
with Turkey In the Crimea, but in 1860
a French army and an English fleet
were obliged to interfere TO bring to
an end the massacre OF Christians at
Damascus and In the Lebanon.
The Mosem invaders of France were
turned back more than a thousand
years ago; from Austria 200 years ago.
Turkeys naval prestige was destroyed
800 years ago; her territorial disintegra.
tlon began more than 40 years ago,
with the rise of the DanubIan princi.
palities. Seryia gained her independ-
ence more than 80 years ago. Since
then Bulgaria and Roumania have FOL.
lowed after her, together with several
minor affairs, all carved from territory
that had at one time been the Turks.
Yet the Sick Man Of the East" still
sits astride the Bosporus. holding the
key to the eastern situation and snap
ping his fingers in the face OF Europe!
While France was incapacitated by
the war with Germany from rendering
aid TO the porte Russia endeayored 10
gain the ground lost by the treaty OF
Paris end in 1871 abrogated the articles
restricting her operations In the Black
sea. a few years later Turkey virtual
ly lost control of Egypt by her conces-
sions to the khedive, who became al
most an absolute ruler, and in 1876, the
Turkish empire being seemingly threat
ened with dismemberment the five
powers who had signed the treaty OF
Paris proposed scheme Of reforms
which the sultan accepted as to the let.
ter, but violated in spirit.
Reyolts in Herzegovina were followed
by atroclous massacres Of Christians by
the Turks and the murder of the
French and German consuls at Salon
lea. Then followed the Russo Turkish
war, the ostensible cause OF which was
Russian interest in the porte's Chris
tian subjects. though the true cause
probably was Russian desire 10 acquire
territory In the Balkan peninsula and
ultimate possession Of Constantinople
After repeated repulses the Russians
with the ai6 of the Roumanlans, were
finally victorious at Plevna. They
crossed the Balkans, captured ons
Turkish army at Shlpka, routed anoth-
er and in January, 1878, entered Adri-
anople.
AS the porte had already begun to
negotiate for peace, the treaty of San
stephano was signed In March, 1875, by
which Russia obtained practically all
she asked for at the time. This was
however, subjected to review and modi-
licaton at the Berlin congress Of the
powers the following June-July. That
congress at Berlin in 1878 set a zeal
upon the sentiment quoted at the open
ing OF this article-that Turkey is a
necessary evil, to be endured for diplo-
matte reasons; that is, that she is nee.
essary to preserve the balance Of power