Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1911-12-14

powers stepped In. Great Britain
practically nullifed Turkish sover-
eighty in Egypt in 1883 by establish
ing control there In 1885 tens
OF thousand of Christian Armenians
were massacred. The protests of Eu-
rope were of no avail A rising Of
the Christians followed a year later
in Crete and was the signal for long
repressed hostilities in Greece. Greece
was forced to sue for peace, pay the
Turkish government an indemnity of
$l8,000,000 and make important con-
cessions on the Graeco-Turkish from
tier.
Meanwhile, Crete was taken in
charge by Great Britain, Russia,
France and Italy and a settlement
was made in 1898 by which the SUI
zerainty of Turkey was renewed. The
people OF ancient Macedonia had long
been FESTIVE under Turkish control
and in 1903 there were bloody mass
acres and conflicts over a large terri
tory. The rivalry of Bulgaria and
Greece and the influence of the great
powers have made a successful re.
volt difficult, however
In the last thirty years Turkey has
been the scene of almost continual
warfare. This eliminated about two
years ago in the overthrow of Abdul
Hamid and the usurping of the throne
by the young Turks.
Trouble With Italy.
The quarrel between Turkey and
Italy over Tripoli arose out of ftaly's
old desire to have possession of that
portion of the northern coast of Afri-
ca, a desire dictated by political rath-
er than commercial reasons. OF the
old Roman colonies Egypt, Tunis, AL
geria and Morocco have passed out of
the hands of the modern government
of the Italian peninsula and of the five
powers on the Mediterranean, Great
Britain, France, Spain, Italy and Aus
tria. only the last two are without
base for their fleets on the south
shore.
Although the country has formed
a part of the Turkish empire since the
middle Of the 10th century, until 1885
the authorities of the Sultan had long
been purely nominal. Then, after an
extended period, during which the
country was a stronghold of pirates.
an expedition was dispatched from
Constantinople and the state was
made a vilayet of the Ottoman en-
pire.
Formerly Tripoli was OF high COM
mercial Importance as the gate to the
interior, but since the Sudan has been
chiefly approached by way of the At
lantic, Tripoli has dwindled in this re-
spect and her commercial value today
rests chiefly on the fertile coast lands.
Italy and Turkey had a dispute in
April. 1908. over the refusal of Turkey
to permit Italian postoffices in Tur-
keys territory At the same time con-
siderable irritation was felt in Italy
over the murder of an Italian mission
airy in Tripoli and the persecution by
the Ottoman authorities of natives
who had sold land to Italians Gov
eminent circles in Rome had felt for
years that Turkey had been taking
advantage of the international situa-
ton to act in a high-handed manner
toward Italians and to show little re-
spect for Italian rights. Italy pre-
pared at that time to send a large
fleet to Turkish waters. whereupon
Turkey Immediately withdrew all OBJ
jections to the postoffices and practic-
ally acknowledged the other italian
claims with regard to the right of the |
Italians freely to purchase property |
on Turkish territory and with regard |
also to coast navigation.
While Turkey yielded on the ques-
ton of the postoffices, the main rea-
son Of diffidence, distrust and antag-
onism remained, as the Sultan was |
determined to do all in his power not |
to yield Tripoli, with Europe's con-
sent. as a field for Italian expansion |
In virtue of the accord concluded by |
the Marquis Visconti-Venosti with |
France and afterward acknowledged |
by all the powers, Italy, while re-
nouncing her interest in Morocco, was |
left free to exercise her influence in |
Tripoli. and thus she was in a posi-.
ton to take advantage of any pretext |
to occupy il under the form of "pro- |
tectorate" such as France exercises in |
runis and England in Egypt