Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-21
TURKEY WANTS WAR
Seeks Money Now in United
States, Europe Failing.
WOULD HUMBLE GREECE
Integrity Of Government at Stake,
Say Young Turks.
MAY EMBROIL MANY NATIONS
Unable to Take Field Unless FL
nances Are Arranged-Crete
Cause of Trouble.
BY WILLIAM F.. CURTIS

| A high authority in diplomatic circles
declared yesterday that If Turkey and
Greece are not fighting each other within
the next six weeks the impending war
will be postponed until next summer.
After November the passes in the Bal
kan mountains of Bulgaria and Macedo-
MIA. which will be the battlefields. will be
filled with snow. Movement of troops
then will be impossible.
He might have said that the probabili-
ties of war depended entirely upon the
success Of the Turkish financiers who are
now trying to negotiate a loan in New
York. having failed to do SO in Vienna.
Berlin, Frankfort, Paris. London and
other money markets of Europe. The
Turks are pleading with the bankers to
buy $75.OOO,CO0 of their bonds. or O,00O,-
600. or even $4,000, 600. which. they say.
is the least that they can get along with.
| They insist that the permanency Of the
constitution and parliamentary govern
ment depends upon the sale. They de-
clare that a war with Greece is the only
means by which the discordant and an
| tagonistic factions of the Young Turk
party can be united. and that the only
alternative is a revolution that is likely
to overthrow the present administration
and restore the reactionaries to power.
They explain that the present crisis Is
| the most serious that has occurred since
Abdul Hamid was deposed, and that the
overthrow OF the present liberal govern
| ment may result in his restoration.
A war with Greece will save the nation
but the Turkish treasury is empty. With
| out money to buy arms and provisions 1t
il, Of course, impossible to consider such
a thing.
Sad Story Fails to Move.
That is the story which Haiku Pasha,
| the grand vizer, and David Bey, the
minister Of finance, have been telling in
the banks and the chancellories of Eu-
rope. They have not excited much sympa-
thy and have utterly failed to secure the
funds they asked for.
There are several reasons for their
failure. In the first place, in the opinion
Of the money kings Of Europe, 1t is poor
policy for the Turkish government to ex-
haust its limited credit by borrowing
| money to waste in war, when 1t needs
| SO much OF public improvements.
| They believe 1t would be much better
| for the government to devote its atten-
! ton to public works and imperative i'm
provements for the people than to excite
4 sympathy and stimulate, patriotism by
Furnishing its weak and practically de-
| fenseless neighbor. 49,
| In the second place there is a, feud be-
| tween two banks. The Imperial Ottoman
Bank, controlled by the Rothschilds, has
|
government for many years, and has ne
| gotated all it's loans. 1t has also been
| the representative Of the Turkish bond
| holders and has looked after their In
| terests.
1t has concessions and privileges enjoy
| ed by no other financial institution. Its
| relations to the government as well as
| to the financial world are similar to those
| OF the Bank Of England In London and
| the Bank Of France in Paris.
Imperial Bank Mistreated.
The Imperial Ottoman Bank. however.
has been suspected of a lack of SYM
pathy with the Young Turk party and the
reform movement which overthrow the
late sultan This is perfectly natural, be-
cause Abdul Hamid was its best Gus
toner
It's relations. with him were close and
confidential and exceedingly profitable on
its side as well as convenient on his. 1t
| would have been unnatural for the own
ers OF the Imperial Ottoman Bank not to
feel regret at the termination OF such
opportunities of increasing their dividends
as were enjoyed under the late regime
1t was not unnatural. also. that the
bank should cherish resentment against
the Young Turk party. particularly since
its representatives in control Of the
government selected another financial
agent in the National Bank Of Turkey, a
mOOern institution ROUNDED by English
men with English capital. under the
leadership OF Sir Ernest Cassel, one OF
the most intimate friends and cronies OF
the late King Edward.
The Imperial Ottoman Bank having
been ignored from the start by the pres
ent administration. has taken the trouble
to block the efforts of it's rivals to obtain
new loan. The Turkish officials have dis
covered that 1t has more influence with
the bankers Of Europe than Sir Ernest
i Cassel.
}, 1t has practically caused the boycott
of the Turkish government in the money
market of Europe Sir Ernest, for that
reason. has gone to the United States to
see what he can do over there. AS the
relations between the banks of New York
and those of London and Paris are quite
as intimate as those OF Europe it is
scarcely probable that he will have any
better success.
Indeed. every one who has the real in
| terest OF Turkey at heart hopes that he
| will fail. because every dollar that Amer
lean investors put into the proposed issue
| OF Turkish bonds will be wasted in war
| when 1t is so much needed for public
! Improvement.
| There Is no doubt that the situation is
| critical for the present ministry The
| Turks, and especially the liberal party
| are distracted by dissensions and ex-
| cited over the complications with Greece
which seem trivial to onlookers from the
| United States, but are really serious and
momenteus from the Turkish point Of
| view.
|