The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-24
ENGLAND AND TURKEY.
Is the Latter to he Put Out OF the Jordan
YalleY2

To THE EDITOR o The SUN-Sir: Pendipl
the determination Of the new Turko-Egyp'
tian frontier by the Anglo-Egyptian anc
Turkish commissioner the political rela-
tions between the British and Turkish Gov
ernments may be expected to remain In
statu quo. Meanwhile 1t is evident from the
general tone Of arecent article in the London
Spectator that when the British Govern
ment raised the question OF the boundary
line it had other and much more important
objects In view.
The first is obviously to get rid Of the last
vestige Of the Sultan's authority over Egypt
itself, by either compelling him to recall his
high commissioner. Mukhtar Pasha, who
had almost sunk into obscurity on the banks
Of the Nile wearing the crown Of mixed laurels
and myrtles he won In Asia In the war of
1877, or inviting that representative Of an
enete rule to adopt Mr.. Gladstone's injunc-
ton and get out Of Egypt. bag and baggage.
But that win only be the first step In a more
exhaustive policy as regards Turkish rule In
the country Of the Jordan valley and to the
east Of the Red Sea. Whether the Spectator
article was written under official inspiration
or not, It plainly expresses ideas that must In
the nature OF things and in the present cir
cumstances OF the ottoman Empire suggest
themselves to the official and commercial
The most ominous proposal, made in tho
article. IN question is that the further extern
territory shall be stopped in order to make
Egypt as strateg!cally. secure, as possible.
11S.tR mere expression s,I e this idea idea renders End It
nounced the. other day in THE srN that the
remainder Of the line to Mecca shall be com
p be- shb By the e. end ndo Of next H. GeaT to Be ma made e
direct cosas beM, So that no matter what
move he may make in any, part OF bis Arabian
domain. the Sultan will find himself con-
frODtnd With the danger OF an i'm m e1iatn
clash with Great Britain. Taking the general
tone Of the, Spectators article into account.
eminent In the. matter amounts to nothing
less than a preliminary, notice to the Turkish
Government to quit all It's domain below a
on the Syrian coast TO the Persian frontier
At a point about IN the line Of latitude Of
t hGRns9 Of the ihnis ar r. lSsn"sa i ssid to be by gnd dee
negotiation between the Russian and British
by which they will agree to
the northern and southern halves Of that !
As regards Re Spectators suggestion, for
TO the test OF. a kind of general plebiscite q
all the Mussulmans outside of Turkey, it has
The adv9ntage Of novelty u not Of Rractica,
putting forward OF the idea may not help TO
defeat its, own, purpose in the case OF such
modans the world over, The moment was
not propitious for launching such, a concep-
ton. In Morocco and all over Mohammedan
Incidence Of the AlHeclras conference; and
the partition of Bengal. which It was
a aoe Complete Rs N separ na[o1" between WUa,S G the H fD9us
and Mussulmans, and by Offering the latter
material advantages over the former In the
administration OF eastern Bengal gain them
completely. over to the policy Of partition,
has had the opposite effect not only there but
all over lndin, so much so that IL may be said
that with a few insignificant exceptions the
Indian Mussulmans and Hindus are unit ed
as they never were before, As the Indian
In the article Of the Spectator, its backbone.
so to say. the punching Of IL just nj this mo-
ment was. u. say the least, inopportune, and
were any other occupant OF the throne OF
Gilman at Constantinople than Abdul Hamid
ii. directing Turkish policy. might be the
means of defeating the object II was intended
to promote.
In connection with this matter, and not !