New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-10
FRANCE Is NEARER EAST.
Thy She Should Rule on the
Bosporus.
~. Editor OF The Tribune.

re- into the coming centuries human nature
III continue 20 be what 81 Is now. One OF its
-. prouinent characteristics Is the inability
= so-get q defeat Br1tons sti1 grit their teeth
- the fate OF Boadices- A. Confederate soldier
!. che United States win promptly admit that
-. defeat OF his cause was for the better: but
.,Oh. for stonewan Jecl1son!" viii be his IN
..o,un.sry exclamation when the conversation
srifts 20 Gettysburg.
No nation has had a better opportunity 20 be-
,rne acquainted with the bitterness Of defeat
han the Germans. FTchte's "Reden an die
peutsche Nation" written after Jena, were not
attended FOR the same purpose the Lamenta-
inns Of jeremiah but they leave very nearly the
came taste in the mouth. Through all OF his
sxborrations TO his countrymen to keep up their
courage by the remembrance OF German
achievements, one can hear this undertone:
AFTER al. I am not sure but we may never
pay more than subordinate part IN history"
II Is safe to say that, had Leipsio not come,
half the intellectual successes OF Germany
would have remained unachieved- There Is no
narslysis like that OF diffdence
History has proved that France contains some
Of the most precious human elements Human
i,y would be the loser II the activity Of these
should Tor a great length OF time be dampened
By the memory OF failure To all future ages II
would seem unnatural that the nation with the
most brilliant military record should close the
book Of Its wars with the inscription OF a de-
feat.
How this feeling tends to prolong the military
era everybody knows. Any allusion TO '1egiti-
mate revindications" is instantly pounced upon
by the militant press OF Germany. Behold the
real sentiment OF France" they exclaim How.
then. can We think Of disarning7 Out with your
portemonnaies and pay for another army corps!"
We're France 10 win a last great victory we
should hear no more OF revindications and then
Demosthenes himself could no longer persuade
the German Michael 10 pay for his military pup
pets.
But the victory OF one nation means the de-
feat Of another, which in its turn will feel the
need OF wiping out the bad score. Thus the proc
ess would have 10 be repeated ad infinitun-
unless We can find a people 10 whom the defeat
OF its government would be a blessing virtual
victory. no sooner is the word spoken than
everybody knows that people-the Turks.
Turkey is not a nation II Is a theocracy
held together by that most shameful of all bonds.
superstition. "si Tempire n'existait plus, 81
restait la France" said the Due d'Aumale The
same could not be said Of Turkey. Take away
the theocrat and there remains not a social
structure. but simply a mass Of human material
which for the first time IN many centuries will
feel Itself human, having hitherto been merely
property. All witnesses agree in extoIllng the
fine qualities Of the Turkish peasant. Some peo-
pie draw the curious conclusion that, beca use
this race is fine. therefore II ought 10 be left
70 the mercy Of the sanguinary theocracy which |
sucks fits blood The finer the Turks are the |
better right have they 10 be well governed-to |
be French citizens. Five years after their de- |
hversnce. when they begin 10 understand its |
meaning they viii be as grateful TO France as |
= 10 - I'd
oustomed to defeat for two hundred years. they
VII regard the expulsion OF their tyrants not as
q oeieat but as a victory over their worst en- |
enies. As for the Christians living among |
them. they viii worship France as divinity.
Already French is the most popular foreign Ian
guage in Turkey
Here, then, is victory which no one will |
lament. except few dozen vampires. The most
earnest advocate OF peace would confess himself
hopeless doctrinaire II he did not welcome
such war. which, in fact would terminate a
chronic state OF war. OF course. the mere VIC
tory would be but poor reward. For her sac
rifee Of blood and treasure France will have
the right 70 claim more substantial remunera-
ton The service she would render 10 humanity
could not be adequately recompensed except by |
ne possession Of Adrianople and Asia Minor.
such victory, solving the Eastern question,
Orlnglng the entire Nearer East within the con-
lines Of civilization, lifting millions Of human |
beings out Of the vslest bondage and placing |
France IN possession OF the ancient haunts Of |
culture. Including that incomparab bic strategic
position, the Bosporus, would suffice to wipe out |
not only Sedan, but every French defeat as far |
BACK as history extends. No grander oppor-
tunity ever presented Itself to France to fulfil
her mission the nberator Of mankind The
misrule which turns the fairest lands Of the |
an inf
course, ended 10 somebody's profit: anG what |
nation has a better right and a clearer duty TO |
END It and to profit by It than the nation which |
STANDS for liberty equality fraternity?
Few sanguinary battles viii have 70 be /
fought, but on the whole the victory will be /
easy. At the first landing Of French troops in
Asa Minor Macedonia VIII be free Only Asia
Minor VIII have 10 be reduced by force Through /
ne ubiquitous Greeks and ArTnenians. the lib
et1tofs VIII learn every movement Of the oppOs-
,He army. A large part Of the Turkish popula-
e-on user VIII rise aginst its tyrants. Cannon /
ano Lebel rifles VIII do the rest
Vow is the time to act. while the only power
MHlch could prevent il has its foot caught in
me japanese trap. A Turlco- Bulgarian war such
= seems imminent, would. usual, be a Sc
tles OF atrocities Let France. IN the name OF |
humanity, forestam IL by annexing one of the 4
Oihoatants. Should England Join Japan. France,
VII turkish war on her hands. win have a
- good excuse for declining to aid Russia.
,-Olg enough has France been Russia's satellite;
- neT snow that she has orbit Of her own. |
as French citizens, the Turks will be a hundred
nc. ines better off than as subjects OF the Car,
Iehloling under the knOut. Under French rule,
most OF the revenue viii be devoted to schools; |
tne Holy" Synod Of Russia would probably
slose most OF the schools now existing IN Asia |
MINOR. The Bosporus and adjoining lands VIII |
means en- enormous increase OF power 10 their |
pOssessor. Which is better FOR humanity the |
increased power OF republic whose mission IS |
% - spread liberty and enlightenment OF the |
increased power OF a despotism which seeks 20 |
seuuce the world 20 servitude and 20 keep il IN |
ignorance? Russia on the Bosporus would be |