New-York tribune., 1911-11-13
TURKISH ISOLATION
The Protector in Sight-Dan.
gerOUS Coalitions.
London. October ~

tectOr in Europe lie may not be an aily
like England or France during the Cri.
mean War nor a benevolent broker Ike
Lord Bcaconsfield when Cyprus was re.
ceived as a commission for services ren.
dered IN forcing revision of the Treats
of San Stefano, but he must be at least
confidential adviser. with Diplomats
resources for keeping the European con.
cert In tune and for safeguarding ths
Turkish possessions. One or anothe,
Car has been n serviceable protector In
the past; Lord Beaconsfeld. In the davs
when the cup Of Oriental enchantment,
was brimming over for the delight Of
British jlngoes and the music halls. was
another and more trustworthy friend.
and the German Emperor during recent
years has been the chief adviser OF ths
Sultan and his ministers, reformed and
unreformed. His influence was impaired
when Italy, without reference to the obli.
cations of the Triple Alliance attacked
Tripoli, but he has not yet been SUP.
planted at Constantinople. because there
is no available substitute for him.
When the Young Turks overturned thu
old order at Constantinople they looked
with suspicion upon the German En-.
peror, who had been befriending the de.
posed Sultan. They wanted more dis.
interested protector, and naturally
turned 20 England as the ruler OF mill.
ions of Mahometans and the possessor
Of the most formidable navy. A small
delegation was sent TO London to sound
the Foreign Office on the possibilities Of
an Anglo Turkish understanding. Il
expected sympathetic treatment from tho
Liberal government because the new ad.
ministration in Constantinople stood for
representative institutions and practical
reforms, In which Englishmen would nat.
urally be interested; and, moreover.
there was a Turkish army as an offset
to the British navy, and there were
concessions in reserve which might ba
useful In Egypt. These advances were
received so coldly that the Grand Vizies
was forced to fall back upon Germany
as the most promising friend in Europe.
The practical utility Of the quasi-pro.
tectorate has been seriously questioned.
Germany's allies have got what they
wanted at the expense OF Turkey. AUS
tria- Hungary secured Bosnia and
Herzegovina and Italy was left at lib
erty to annex Tripoli. The European
concert was tradition. Turkey did not
have security against the greed of Ger.
manys allies.
England had been lukewarm because
Edward VII had introduced the diplo-
macy Of the entente. He had perceived
that the German Emperor was the arr
lowed to deal separately with the
Western powers and Russia. BY pro-
noting the friendliest possible relations
with France and Russia he created the
Triple Entente as counterpoise TO the
Triple Alliance, and In this way divided
the great powers into two formidable
groups. There has been no change OF
diplomatic policy in the new reign, and
1Ciiidhy huS DCCH lHN leu
strained in the Morocco negotiations by
the sympathetic relations of the West
ern powers. The Triple Entente was OF
more Importance to England than an al
lance with reformed Turkey. There has
been no disposition on the part of the
British and French Foreign offices to
keep the Italians out OF Tripoli. On the
contrary, they have been anxious to de-
tach ITALY from the Triple Alliance, and
for this reason have condOned her Of
fences against international law.
The Young Turks have satisfied them
selves by this time that they cannot de-
pend any longer upon any protector in
Europe, but must either remain in a
dangerous state of isolation or else join
one or the other group of great pow
ers. 1t has been currently reported that
the German Ambassador in Constanti-
nople has been urging this course with
subtlety and persistency, but he must
have found it difficult to explain how
this coalition was to be managed with
out the italian annexation of Tripoli and
also without liabilities for additional con-
cessions to the Balkan states under
Austrian control. A coalition with the
Triple Entente has not been broached.
alternative policy by the demoralized
Grand Nizier. 1t also has serious draw
backs, such as the traditional aspira-
tions of the Northern Slavs for the occu.
patton Of Constantinople and the SYM
pathies Of the Western powers with
Greece-the most helpless of the minor
states. Talleyrand's good Europeans
have disappeared. The Turk is likely to
fall among thieves when he enters any
and where is the Good Samari-
tan who will bind up his wounds and
take him to safe place of refuge?
Isolation. on the whole. may impress
the Constitutionalists in Turkey as
safer course than Identification with any
group in which greed is ruling pas
sion. This conclusion will be strength
ened if Enver Bey has really succeeded
in reaching Tripoli and i'm inducing tho
Grand Sheik Of the Senuss TO proclaim
a holy war against the Italian invaders.
With the Arabs fighting with fanaticaI
ardor there will be a prolonged campaign
without money chest, and mastery
in Constantinople will be less
hazardous than the cession OF Tripoli
rs the price OF defensive coalition with
the Triple Alliance. There will be small
risks of complications in the Balkan
when the manor states are pulling in OPP
posite directions and counteracting ono