The Washington herald., 1908-03-01

!
Which has shown such a lamentable in
capacity in the development Of the rich
! latent resources of her present territory.
There is a Servian element which clamors
for the Incorporation of Macedonia into
the Kingdom of Servia. under the feeble
and discredited rule Of Peter Karageorge-
ovitch. There is the important Bulgarian
/ faction. which insists upon Macedonia be-
looming part and parcel of the principali-
ty of Bulgaria.
Plan of MacedOnians.
Then there are the Macedonians who
wish their country TO become a Russian
province and the Macedonians who aim
at converting the province into an inde-
pendent and autonomous state. either a
monarchy or a republic. much on the
same lines as Bulgaria while the Ma
homendans. who constitute about 20 per
cent OF the population, elampr for prefer
entail treatment by the authorities.
There is only one point in which all the
Christian races in Macedonia are agreed.
namely, IA their reluctance 70 pay the
by no means onerous taxation to the
Sublime Porte: taxes through which they
obtain immunity from military service,
30 which every Moslem subject of the
Sultan is liable. OF course. they all Of
them know that by means OF stories Of
Turkish cruelty and of Turkish Oppres-
sion, they can obtain not merely the sym
pathy, but likewise abundant financial as
sistance from those worthy Christians
Of Western Europe and Of America. who
ignorant of the true conditions Of the
near East. conceive IL to be a frightful
thing that Christians-save the mark
should be subject 10 the tyranny OF the
infdel Turk: whereas II the truth were
known, the Christian in Turkey enjoys
a far greater degree Of liberty OF wor-
ship and Of conscience, as we'll as more
immunities Of every kind, than do the
Roman Catholics and nonconformists IN
Russia, or the Protestants in Austria,
Spain, and Portugal.
Many Christian Churches.
There is no important city in the Otto
man empire where there are not several
Christian churches; and at Jerusalem
the Moslem soldiers or the Sultan have to
be kept on duty ali the time in the
Christian places of worship IN order 10
preserve a decorcus behavior on the
part Of the Christians visiting the holy
places OF their religion. and to prevent
tAem from fighting one another. But
you can travel throughout the length
and breadth of Spain without finding a
Protestant church, much less a Moslem
mosque.
In England. the government Is neces-
sarily largely swayed by public sentl-
ment which is not always characterized
by cOmmonsense. and public sentiment
demands not merely reform in Macedonia.
which the Sultan cannot grant but the
conversion OF a half Mahomedan prov
ince into an autonomous state under a
varrr .Tr~ 80.
or William appreciates the fact that this.
while II might satisfy popular feeling in
the West. would in no sense contribute
20 the pacification Of Macedonia, OF 10
the cessation OF the agitation in that part
OF Europe
Might Make Matters Worse
Like those who are acquainted with the
true conditions Of the Orient, he takes
The ground that if the Sultan were TO con-
cede the demands made upon him. the
next condition OF Macedonia would be i'm
measureably worse than the first. and
so he stays his hand. declines to inter-
fere in the internal affairs Of Turkey. and
reaps the benefit OF hiss abstention in the
shape OF a virtual monopoly by Germany
of the foreign trade OF the Ottoman en-
pire.
Bismarck took the ground at the time
Of Russia's kidnapping and virtual de-
position OF Prince Alexander Of Battf-
berg, that Bulgaria WAS not worth the
l:fe of a single Prussian grenadier. En-
peror William. in the same way. does not
consider that Macedonia and its popula-
ton, I'm which the bandit element is large
ly represented. is worth the sacrifice OF
German trade In the Levant That IS
why ne declines 20 be a party 10 any
European coalition against the Sultan
IN connection with Macedonia, his exam
pie IN the matter being now followed by
Austria. who IS receiving her reward by
the permission which the Sultan has now
granted her for the construction across
Ottoman terTitorZ OF the line connecting
her railroad system with that OF the Sub
lime Porte. and with Salonica.
Germany has become. through the pol
Icy Of the Emperor, the predominant for
eign power in Turkey and has likewise
acquired an immense influence through
out the Moslem world. through being
known as the one Christian nation which
has declined 10 be a party 20 any Chris
uan oppression OF the Sublime Porte.
Importance of America.
Since the signature Of the treaty Of
Berlin thirty years ago. the United States
has developed into n great power and
into a most important factor in interna-
tional affairs. At the two Peace Confer
ences Of The Hague, at the conference
Of Algeciras. on Moorish affairs. and at
the Peace Congress ar Portsmouth. the
views and utterances OF Uncle Sam ex-
ercised a weighty influence. American
trade with Turkey is relatively small and
unimportant. Her inerests In the Otto
man empire are mainly Of the missionary
order. Yet it may safely be taken for
granted that, as in the case Of Morocco.
and in the negotiations which brought the
war OF Russia and Japan to a conclusion
nothing will be done with regard 10 Tur-
key without consulting the United
States, and obtaining its consent TO anv
international agreement that may nov,
be negotiated for the purpose of averting
the European conhagratiOn in which. ac
cording 10 Sir Edward Grey. the world
Is threatened through the revival Of that
long dormant volcano OF politics. the
Eastern question
Copyright, 1909. by the Brentwood Company)
The Ever Possible Step.
From fHa nrooil-,