Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-12-13
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS
FACTS AND OPINIONS GATHERED
FROM CONTEMPORARIES.
TURKEYS DECENTRALIZATION.

TURKEY 3 DECENTRALIZATION
The Turkish government is IN so de-
moralized state that the European
powers may be compelled in the neal
future to deal with it as question OF
abating an unbearable nuisance. The
powers will certainly have to pay some
penalty for past negligences. They
should have dealt more efficiently with
the Cretan question, and should not have
allowed the Turks to invade and humiliate
Greece. They should have interviewed
vigorously at the time of the Armenian
massacres, and thus have saved Asia
Minor from the conditions of anarchy
which now prevail there. Brigandage
was never so rife, and all classes of the
population, whether Turks or Armenians,
are the victims of terrible disorder. 1t is
alleged that the local military police
forces throughout Asia Minor are in part
nership with the brigands,-a sort OF
Tammany system on widespread scale.
The Turkish police, however, have an
excuse in the fact that for more than a
year they have not been paid any wages.
All taxes collected in Asia Minor must
now be sent direct to Constantinople, and
nothing goes back to pay local officials,
soldiers, and policemen. These men
must, therefore, pick up what they can,
and they employ the familiar New York
system of sharing the spoils of crime.
Although brigandage in European Tur-
key is by no means so rife as In Asia
Minor, it has had more outside notice of
late, owing to the great amount of dis
hoe htrth a off
to secure the release of the American
missionary, Miss Stone. 1t is difficult to
understand the motives of those who
have insisted upon discussing this ques-
ton as if it were one primarily of govern
ments and International politics. 1t has
been with some measure of bewilderment,
for instance, that the well-infOrmed
reader has noted the denunciatiOns of
Bulgaria in many American newspapers,
and the suggestions that our govern
ment might send a punitive expedition
against that principaity. The fact of
course, is that the government of
Bulgaria has been making extraordinary
efforts to capture the brigands,and rescue
Miss Stone. The only question at issue
has been whether or not such efforts
should cease while the Americans, during
an indefinite period, were trying to col
lect ransom money by popular sub
scription and trying to carry on nego-
tations with the brigands. Bulgaria has
made amazing progress since its enamel
patton from the degradation of Turkish
misrule, and its efforts have been entitled
to the warmest admiration of the Ameri-
can people. Brigandage is due to the
decentralization of adjacent districts under
Turkish ruie.-Review of Reviews.
1000
PROFITABLE EASTERN FARMING.
Farming in the East is not as risky
and Improbable as many persons have
been led to suppose. Generally speak
ing, of course, production is cheaper in
the West, with its big ranches and
virgin soil, than in the restricted areas
of the East. The census, however,
makes a good showing for some Eastern
states where farming was supposed to be
on a decline. For instance, it Is seen
that the value of farm products in
New Hampshire was fifty nine per cent
greater in 1899 than in 1889, and in
per cent. This helps to indicate the
value of manufacturing towns to a near.
by farming community if the farms are
devoted to raising such products as are
most likely to find ready sale.
The farmers are learning the lesson
and hence the gain in wealth as shown
by the census. Eastern farmers cannot
hope to compete with the great grain
growers and cattle raisers of the West
in supplying the general market. They
can produce the smaller animals, fowls
"garden truck" and large variety OF
articles which are always in a ready de
mand in nelghboring cities. 1t has taker
some time to get this fact thoroughly
Understood, but the truth is now realized
and the census figures show that the
Eastern farmer is profitlng accordingly
He has found out what the manufacture
ing towns want and Is prospecting as a re
suit of his readiness in adapting himself
to circumstances.-Tro Times.
900
A WARNING TO THE BRITISH.
Thomas Wemyss Reid, the English
author, has an article in the December
number of the Nineteenth Century anC
After magazine IN which he represents
one of President ROOsevelt's cabinet al
saying: 81 do not think you Englisl
realize the depth of feeling that exists
do q ntryy on cIl