Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-01
THE ITAL0- TURKISH SITUATION

sides. the Turks financial affairs are not
within the power Of Germany to remedy,
and for this reason, with the Turks at
fections. or interests. II YOU will. divided
between France and England. there was
no reason why Germany should not de-
liver over his quondam but unstable friend
TO the tender mercies OF Italy. OF Europe
and thus save the face OF the protecting
powers in the matter OF Crete. II was
no fault Of Germany II the Young Turk
had Numbered over that question.
Crete was and is a perplexing problem.
Crete refuses to accept the reappoint-
men OF NJ. Alexander Zaims high
commissioner. Turkey demands on the
other hand that her rights Of suzerainty
over Crete be recognized. She has pro
claimed this in official and diplomatic
declarations in the chamber and senate.
and has boldly announced that she viii
no longer tolerate any Intervention Of
Greece In the affairs OF the island.
To the financial, the Cretan and other
questions there should be added the party
of the old Turk. which under the aegde
OF Cher.d Pasha and his former secre-
tary, All Yizid. is plotting 10 restore the
old regime and delivering Abdul Hamid
replace him the throne Abdul Hamid
parenthetically would not object TO be
delivered and restored to his throne. but
he would prefer that it should not he
mentioned above a whisper.
These are some OF the thoughts that
have coursed through the kaiser's brain
and led him TO support Italy in hurting
her ultimatum at the head OF the Young
Turk.
1taly's troubles. interior and exterior.
are slight enough compared with her
rivals. 1talys troubles will disappear
quickly enough when her cause becomes.
as 1t already is, the cause OF Europe and
of Christianity. Has not the Pope de-
clared through the papal secretary OF
state that the occupation OF Tripoli Will
be triumph in the progress Of civiliza-
ton?
Italy's trouble with the Argentine is
mentioned merely as a passing cloud. and
refers TO a question of sanitation i'm the
matter of her emigrants to the Argentine.
Italy has founded I'm the Argentine a
most important colony and has other
wise invested there great industrial en-
terprises and adjuncts thereto great
Italian newspapers. After the Spanish
the Italian language is the most used IN
the Argentine. Some idea of the i'm
portance of the Italian immigrant may he
formed by citing the fact that in 1908
there were 252,536 arrivals. of whom 49,
51S were Italians.
The transportation Of the Italian emil
grants, generally composed of a class
having little care OF
Italian rules as to their sani-
tary condition. has al
CniS ioAtS' ways attracted the
strictest attention of the Italian govern
ment. Inspired by principles OF humanity
in establishing safeguards OF puolc
health, Italy deserved well of all the
powers interested in sanitary regulations.
To carry out her methods Italy obliged
every ship carrying emigrants TO have
on board military medical officer. whose
duty ii was to submit each emigrant TO
a strict examination.
Now recently the Argentine government
decided to establish service OF medical
inspectors of her own nationality on
board of Italian emigrant ships and i'm
posed also a quarantine OF those coming
from Italy. Italy protested energetically
and recalled Immediately the cruiser
Etruria, then at Buenos Aires to take
part i'm the fiftieth anniversary fetes or
the Argentine.
An incident happened to aggravate the
conflict. Some months ago the Italian
packet Savoia, filled with emigrants, ar
rived at Buenos Aires. A note i'm the
press announced that IL the Argentine
government imposed the quarantine on
the passengers Italy would Immediately
order the commissioner of emigration to
stop the emigration flow toward South
America (Which was in very great want
that year of a great number OF tmmi-
grants The quarantine having been or
dered the Italian government put its
menace I'm execution and suspended emf
which affected her dignity and were of a
nature to constitute a precedent which
other nations would follow.
The Italian government announced at
the same time that II would resume its
pourparlers with Brazil in order to send
its emigrants there. Italy was decided to
act energetically. She considered as hu-
initiating and offensive to her dignity that
a state should take no account of the
work of sanitary organization she had eff
fected in her ports and on her emigrant
transport ships
The Argentine government replied that
il meant no offense, but ii was bound by
formal treaties with Brazil. Uruguay and
Paraguay. and could not do other with
Italy than with nations that sent her
emigrants.
Until now the Argentine government
has not shown a disposition TO change
its views on sanitation, and Buenos
Aires journals have used severe language
against the Importation OF Italian prod
ucts into Argentina.
But We should return to the Tripolitan
question. which has suddenly come to
take the place of Morocco
TrlpoliS as an issue of interna-
History tional interest:
AAis'oAy' Tripoli. il may be added,
fell under Turkish dominion in the six
teenth century. and was proclaimed
Turkish vilayet in 1885. The principal
towns are on the coast-Tripoli. the cap
itaI. with 10000 inhabitants. Benghazi
with 1900.
Benghaz is on the site OF ancient Bere-
NICE which was one of the five remark
able cities of the Cyrenian pentapole. The
population numbers, roughly estimated.
nomad negroes and Jews. The civil Euro
pean population numbers 5000 to 5000.
mostly Maltese and Italians.
The chief authority in Tripoli. both civil
and military. is committed to Turkish
governor general. or WALL under whom
are. as in other Turkish provinces mutes-
sarifs, kaimakams and mudirs. Sheikhs
still exercise authority over the Arab
tribes. and Berber assemblies meet to fix
the assessment Of taxes. Benghazi has a
mutessarif who is directly responsible to
the porte Arabic is generally spoken,
but Turkish is the official language