Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-20
THE EUxINE BOTTLE.

THE EUxINE BOTTLE.
The decIination Of the Porte to heed
Great Rritain's protest again the passage.
OF the Dardanelles by a Russian torpedo
boat, Is again centerins attention on the
nearer Eastern problem, and causing to.
be asked the question, what step the sul-
tan's erstwhile best friend will now take
"to. save her face? It Is beginning TO
look as If there is no practical step Great
Britain can take to that end Time WIS,
and that in. the not very distant past.
when the Turkish government would not
ing from Great Britain. The latter's In;
fluenee at Constantinople was paramount,
not to say absolute.
In ell the willy plays OF one Power
against another, made by the Sultan,
when the game closed pretty much all OF
r the stakes worth having were in the
hands Of the British diplomatic represen-
tative at the Ottoman court. But since
the Franco.Gern1an wsr,s5tte drift OF
events has shown a steadily increasing
weakness Of the British hold upon the
Porte. There have been many Incidents
symptonnatic OF decline Of British pres
tige and power in Turkey. the last one
affords most significant evidence Of this
decline. and taken with the relations Of
the greater continental Powers to Turkey
would seem to foreshadow an early isola-
ton Of Great Britain In the matter Of the
nearer Eastern Issue.
In the treaty Of Paris. 1856, which end
ed the Crimean war, the signatories COW
enanted for the maintenance, with one
I slight modification. OF the ancient Turk
ish rule against permitting war ships
OF other nations than Turkey to pass
through the Bosphorus and the Dardan-
elles. The modification was that few
small craft necessary to guard the inter-
.natiorial works at the mouth OF the Dan.
ube, and few small cruisers in the SER
should be allowed to go back and forth
through the otherwise sealed straits. But
the same convention prohibited both
Turkey and Russia from building or main
tanning war ships In the Black Sea This
restriction was particularly rumi1ia ting
to Russia, and more directly In the inter-
est OF Great Britain than Of that Of any
OF the other Powers that forced Its ac-s
ceptance from the Gar and the Sultan.
AS the situation then stood. 1t eliminated
a powerful factor Russia reckoned on
in contemplating her. next move for plant
ing the cross above the crescent on st.
Sophia. and removed menace to British
Mediterranean policy ana practical donni-
nation Of that commercial highway. But
upon the breaking out OF tho Franco
Prussian war. and with the consent
md virtual connivance Of Germany.
Russia boldly threw off the re-
striction-open1y repudiatcd the clause Of
the treaty intibiting the building or main
tanning OF 2 fleet in the Euxine. Great
Britain promptly and vigorously protest.
ed, but It soon became apparent that the
only way to enforce her protest was to
go to war with Russia, and that she was
not prepared TO do. What with the condi-
lions On the continent, there was no open
ing for forming alliances that would.
through moral pressure and suasion. COM,
pei Russia to observe the treaty: So Ear
as humiliation was concerned. the tables
had been turned.
The British people recognized that fact
md felt the humiliation keenly. Some.
thing had to be done to save the British
face" Consequently. the government
made overtures to Russia for confer
,ncs for the revision" 81 the Black Sea
clauses oS the treaty Of Paris. and the
outcome was the London convention Of
tls77 British initiative II ths premises put
her in the position OF doing the liberal and
,rosrsssirn act. The conventien conceet.
ed the right OF tho czas. to construct war
ships and maintain naval establish;
'neat IN the Euxins, and also agreed that
or the future the Sultan should have the
light to open the Bosphorus and Dardan,
eiles in times Of peace to8war ships of
friendly nations. in the event that hi
should deem that essential to securing the
observance OF the treaty Of 1856. This
clause In the London treaty. and the fact
hat the Russian torpedo boat was with
nut armament. constituted the basis of.
me Porte's claims that It was justified in
gnoring the British protest, and has not
broken any treaty obligation.
Great Britain's answer Is that the cir
cumstancesI and conditions Of the present!
,ase were not contemplated by the prcyist
II the London convention, behind which
he Sultan takes cover, and in the acad-s
enic discussion Of the matter 1t Is pretty
generally admitted that the British inter.
pretation OF the proviso Is right. Wheri
he Sultan granted passage 70 the Rus
SIAN boat. there were no conditions exist
ne that threatened the integrity Of the
treaty Of Parls-ei tner as: II stood after
Russ.a inlrinEsd It. or was nodded by
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