New-York tribune., 1908-03-01

their reluctance 70 pay the by no means onN7-
taxation 70 the Sublime Porte. taxes through
which they obtain immunity from military ser
vice TO which every Moslen1 subject Of the Sui
tan is liable OF course, all Of them know that
hv means of stories Of Turkish cruelty and az
Turkish oppression they can obtain not merely
sympathy, but likewise abundant financial
sistaUce from those worthy Christians Of West
err Europe and Of America who. ignorant Of TIE
true conditions Of the Near East. conceive IT 10
be a frightfuI thing that Christians-Crod save
tho mark,-shouId be subject TO the tyranny Of
the iu1del Turk, whereas if the truth were
known, the Christian in Turkey enjoys i far
greater degree Of liberty of worship and of
conscience. as well as more immuuftieS of every
kind than do the Roman Catholics and non
conformi=ts IN Russia or the ProtesJants in
Austria. Spain and Portugal
There is no important city in the Ottoman
Empire where there are not several Christian
churches: and at Jerusalem tho MosIeu soldiers
Of the Sultan have he kept duty all the
time in the Christian places of worship 1T order
TO preserve &. decorous behavior on the part Of
the Christians visiting the holy places ot their
religion and 10 prevent them from fighting one
another. But YOU can travel throughout the
length and breadth OF Spain without finding .
Protestant church. much less M0siem mosque.
EUEIdQG
largely sWayed by public sentiment which is
not always characterized by common sense. and
public sentiment demands not merely reforms
in Macedonia which the Sultan cannot grant
but the conversion Of 4 half Nahometau prov
fnce into an autonomous state under purely
Christian administration Emperor William sD-
prnciat0s the fact that this. while IL might sat
isfy popular feeling iu the West. would in no
sense contribute to the pacincatjCu Of Nacedo-
MIA o. 70 the cessation Of the agitation in that
part Of Europe. Like those vho arc acquainted
with the true conditions ~ the Orient no takes
the ground thar IL rho Sultan we're To roroedA
the demands made upon him tho following con-
dftion Of Macedonia would be imueasU-an-v
worst than the first and 81 he stays his hand.
declines 70 interfere IN the internal affairs of
Turkey and reaps the benefit Of his ahst0u-io1
IN the shape Of virtual monopoly by Germany
Of the foreign trade n the ottoman EmpJro-
Bismarck took the ground a, the time Of
Russia-s kidnapping and virtual deposition ~
Prince Alexander Of BatteuherE thai Bulgaria
was not worth The life Of single Trlseia0
erena der Emperor William = the same va~
does NOT consider that Macedonia and trs popu-
1atior in which the bandit element Is TareeIy
rapreser+ed fs worth the sacrifice Of German
rra De in the L,evant Thar IS why he declines
70 be party 70 am European coalition against
,ha SuIrau in connection with Macedonia his
exar7ple in the matter being nov followed 6y
Austria who is receiving her reward by the
rern1fssion which the Sultan has now granted
her for the construction across Ottoman ter
ritorv OF the line connecting her railroad system
with Salonica Germany has become through
the policy OF the Emperor, the predominant for
aign power in Turkey and has likewise acquired
an immense influence throughout the MosleEn
world through being known the one Christian
nation which has declined 10 be a party 70 any
Christian oppression Of the Sublime Porte.
Since the signature Of the treaty OF Berlin
thirty years ago. the United States has devel-
oped into a great power, and into most i'm
portant factor in international affairs. Az the
two peace congresses OF The Hague. at the
conference of Algeciras on Moorish affairs and
at the peace congress at Portsmouth the views
and the utterances OF Uncle Sam exercised a
weighty influence American trade with Turkey
is relatively small and unimportant Her in
terests in the Ottoman Empire mainly OF
the missionary order. Yet It may safely be
taken for granted that as In the of Moroc-
co and in the negotiations which brought the war
between Russia and Japan 10 a conclusion. moth
ing will be done with regard 10 Turkey without
consulting the United States and obtaining It's
consent to any international agreement that may
now be negotiated for the purpose Of averJug
rI7.. European confagration with which, accord
ing 70 SIR Edward GREY the world IS threatened
through the revival Of that long dormant vol
canc Of politics. the Eastern question
N-ATIACH