The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-04-20
THE TROUBLE IN TURKEY.

! tell what the morrow VIII bring forth.
The first revolution by which the re-
formers, the Young Turkey party, over
threw the old regime last June. came
without a moments warning. The con-
stitution was declared operative, new
/ ministers installed and the old palace
/ favorites sent into exile, all within a
week. Then, after a short period of
/ seeming quiet, the Teformers instituted
another change in the premiership be-
i cause the incumbent was suspected Of
conniving with the sultan at a return
20 the old methods. This had hardly
been effected when a revolt of the gar
rison in Constantinople was made the
pretext for the overthrow of the reform
party, the suspension of parliament, the
flight of reform members and the insti-
tuition of the old favorites in power.
There is no doubt but that this last
coup was instigated by the sultan. and
that the uprising of the troops in the
capital was his own peculiar way Of
Selling again the power which had been
taken from him. Unhappily for the sui
tan, the troops outside of the capital are
in sympathy with the Young Turks,
and Immediately started for CONSTANT
nople when they learned what had hap
pened. They halted outside the city to
await developments, but they hold the
key to the situation and seem deter
mined 10 have matters settled 10 their
notion, or else to march into Constanti-
nOple and take possession. Whether
such a movement would be resisted by
troops within the city or not, could be
known by actual test; but the situation
is critical. and upon its outcome de
ponds the fate of the empire, as well as
the life Of the sultan.
In the event of civil war. it is GER
tain the powers would intervene to pro-
tect the lives and property of foreign
ers- In the meanwhile the outbreak at
Adana, where at least two American
missionaries are known to have been
killed and thousands OF others have
been massacred by the mob. has pre-
cipitated a call for outside action indie
pendent of the complications in the cap
ital. Adana in 1885 had a population of
$4,000; it is situated about thirty miles
from the sea and eighteen miles east of
Tarsus. OF the river Sihou. and is a
place Of considerable commercial i'm
poTtance. 1t has been headquarters for
the missionaries of that region, and at
the outbreak a conference of these mis-
sions was in progress there.
France and Great Britain have start
ed for Mersina, the nearest seaport. and
it is probable the American government
will take part in the naval demonstra-
ton if an available ship can be had
promptly. No one knows what caused
the massacre; the only official expIana-
ton is from Turkish sources and, as
usual, this lays the blame on the Ar
menians. Whatever the cause. it is as
sumed that the sultan is playing for
interference by the powers to save his
throne. while the refOrmers are as de-
teTmined to conduct affairs so as to
preclude any excuse for outside inter
vention.
The latest reports indicate that the
Young Turks command the situation at
the capital more completely than they
did before the sultan's coup. and that
they will have the backing Of the troops
generally. including probably the gar
Tison at the capital, which has subsided
on the approach of the SaIoniki army
corps under direction of the committee
on union and progress, which is the
directing body OF the reformers' party.
Whatever may happen, the civilized
people of the world viii hope that the
constitutional party viii drive the sui
tan from his throne. He has been the
evil spirit of Europe during all of his
long term Of power; constituencies.
cruel. corrupt. he has been retained on
the throne by the Jealousy of the pow
ers in spite Of crimes that ought to have
cost him his head. Under him the en-
2ire has sunk to the depths OF moral
degradation, it has become impover-
ished under extortion. it has been
stencil in the nostTils Of Europe. II di-
vine justice ever was called on 10 pun
ssh crime on a colossal scale. il has a
subject in the sultan of Turkey