Evening star., 1912-11-17

Amid the clash Of arms and the confu-
sion consequent upon a defeated and fee
ing army that overfiows
Fall of Constantinople the fall of
rr. the ministry on the 30th
AAA1StAy. ultimo passed almost un-
noticed. Kiamil Pasha. who was presi-
dent of the council of ministers, sue
ceeded Ghazi Moukhtar Pasha as grand
vizier in the new cabinet. which is large
~ composed of the old.
Ghazi Moukhtar's retirement was vol
untary. The hero of Plevna was scarcely
the man to meet the humiliation of de-
feat and its heartaches. and he resigned,
to give place to KiamiI Pashs, whose
temperament and wide experience fitted
him for the ungrateful role that is his.
A word concerning the retired vizier is
in place and a just tribute to a truly
great man and soldier-a real grand
Turk The hero of Plevna was high
commissioner of the imperial government
In Caro-, Egypt, in 1880. and it was there
! met and admired him in the ungrateful
charged-that of maintaining intact the
suzerainty of Turkey over Egypt, men,
aced by the British occupation.
GhaN Moukhtar accepted the portfolio
OF grand vizier barely three months ago.
and because OF the reign of the party of
union and progress which required
strong hand and the talisman of great
name to intimidate. IL not suppress In
tervtewed recently. he said:
|. The Young Turks have ruined our
army. Formerly part Of the officers
came from the ranks and the rest from
the military schoos. The Young Turks
changed that They pensioned or found
other situations for the men who had
risen from the ranks and replaced them
by youngsters from the military acad-
emy. During three years about 1,5to
Joined In this way, but all of them were
too young and inexperienced.
Our battalions OF infantry, which are
500 strong had only seven office each
at the outbreak Of the war, whereas in
the past they always had sixteen or sew
enteen. What could you expect our brave
soldiers to do without officers and with
out food, for we had no commissariat
department.? They could do only one
thing-they fed
Kiamil Pasha was named grand vizier
not only because he was hostile to the
party Of union and progress. but this
time 1t was question OF saving the face
OF the Turk-aye. even the government
itself-Turkey in Europe being menaced
by ruin and annihi alton. BY tempera-
ment and experience with men and with
diplomats. he was perhaps the only Turk.
Notwithstanding his eighty-four years,
capable of dealing with the situation.
4 X
Kiamil Pasha's first act was to reas-
sure the foreign ambassadors In Con-
stantinople Of his in
Reinsurance tention to maintain or
D::, der. DO not think"
oy hlamll. he added, that either 1
or the sultan will ever abandon Constan-
tinople. My sovereign will await death
in mis- palace and l. in my Office
Noradounghian Pasha. named minister
for foreign affairs, Us eighty-five years
old. He Is reported to have said: 'Twen-
ty-seven treaties concluded du, ing the
past century by the natives Of Europe
have guaranteed the integrity of the OF
toman empire."
This is perhaps quite correct, but many
honest and inte ,ligent Turkish officials
have protested against the misrule which
would inevitably create the storm that
has come in Macedonia.
At this moment ten days after the for
nation of the new ministry the Turkish
army that was relied on to do away
quickly with the armies of the Balkans
has been defeated and routed at every
of Consta antinople. A Servian army has
captured Uskub and. marching westward
to the Adriatic across Albania, has taken
possession Of the posts of Durazzo and
S. Juan de Medua. Monastir is besieged
Adrianople is hopelessly invested by the
Bulgarian army and Eski-Baba, Demo-
tika and Tchorlu have been carried by
the Irresistible Bulgars. The beaten and
demoralized Turks are endeavoring to
gather up the uncertain fragments of
proud army in the fortifications of
Tchatalja. Nor should 1t be left unwrit-
ten that the Greek forces. under the
command Of valiant crown prince
marching from victory to victory finally
tant stronghold of Saioniki
A dispatch from Paris, referring to
Austria's attempt to interfere with
Servia, says:
into war simply because Servia shall
have or shall not have port on the
Adriatic is simply monstrous."
Prime Minister Asquith emphasized
FnRland's standing on that issue in his
speech at the Guildhan on the 9th instant
Referring to the instructions Of the Aus
trian ministry to it's representative at
Belgrade that che should point out to
Servia that Austria was determined un-
der no circumstances to permit Servia to
occupy Durazzo on the Adriatic," Mr.
Asquith declared: Upon one thing I be-
lieve the general opinion of Europe to be
unanimous, that the vfctors are not to be
robbed Of the fruits of what has cost
=
'For the moment" continued the prime
minister, 'his majesty's government dep
recated the raising and
English pressing of isolated ques-
MI. tions, which. If treated
1VSitIou. separately and at once,
might lead to divergence and should be
he,id up for a wider point of view In the
general settlement"
The language is sufficiently clear. Eng
land did not desire war. She would use
all the efforts Of diplomacy to prevent
1t. But all the world might read between
the lines of Mr.. Asuuith's speech. 1t
was manifest that Austria would not be
permitted to exclude Servia from the
Adriatic and thus take from her the
tust fruits OF victories which had cost
her SO many lives on the field of battle
Mr. Asquitf1 and Mr.. Churchill, first lord
of the admiralty, declared that the Bi tt
ish navy was prepared for any emei-
gency.
Austria Hungary will not find Europe in
ocf Of q