Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-16
TURKEYS LAST HOURS.

instant announces that the Turkish gov
eminent again invites the
Heavy European powers to in
Price. ,erVene TO STOP ,ne pa pa
treated with the victorious allies at
Baghtche she might not only have saved
her face and avoided the payment Of
heavy war indemnity, but certainly saved
Constantinople. At this moment Con-
stantinople may be added to the price
Turkey must pay for the assassination
OF her gallant Maxim Pasha and the
lutionary party Of Union and progress.
Meanwhile. Scutari is being vigorously
bombarded by the Montenegrins. with
great loss Of life to besieged and besieg-
ers. Adrianople likewise is being bonn
barded. and the peninsula of Gallipoli
has become the scene of operations hav-
ing for object the taking of the Darda-
nelles defenses from the land side.
Serious battles involving great loss Of
life by the Turks have been fought. and
the hopelessness of the latter has doubt
less convinced the union and progress
leaders that they must submit to what
was already manifest at Baghtche.
The intrenchments which traverse the
isthmus Of GallipOli are interesting from
a historical point Of view. They were
middle ages In 1857. They were repaired
just before the Cr1mean war In 1854 by
French and English engineers, and finally
they were remodeled in 1873. when the
Russians nenaced Constantinople.
A dispatch from Paris on the 10th in
slant announced that the ambassadors OF
the powers would hold a second confer
ence to arrange for a division Of the OF
toman debt between Turkey and the Bal
kan states. From this IL would seem
that the powers are anticipating the de-
mise of Turkey In Europe, and are more
troubled over their financial investments
and loans to Turkey than the preserva-
ton Of Turkey in Europe. The dispatches
Of the 18th reporting Turkeys renewed
cry for peace may cause the ambassa-
doris to meet without delay.
X
The allies warned Turkey. that if she
insisted upon renewal Of the war she
must treat with them on
Prospective the battlefield. and we
Indemnity %ay n BE s na sx ana, ,hs
high. There will be charged up not only
Adrianople, but war indemnity. Aegean
Islands and Constantinople. If Rouma-
mia has been satisfied by Bulgaria and
brought into line with the coalition, as
reported. both Austria and Italy may
find their policy challenged abruptly by
this new nation. whose military power is
respectable.
In this account due note should be made
Of the fact that Ottoman debts are large
in London, Berlin and Vienna. as well as
in Paris. The center Of political and
.;cl nit, - t, NJ
Constantinople under the Turk, but Con-
stantinople perhaps under the Balkan
coalition.
The conquest of Turkey is not without
hardship for the conqueror. Russia was
awarded for her conquest Of 1873 a war
indemnity. which still remains unpaid.
Turkeys loans are unpaid. and she will
require more money, for she has not a
plaster in her treasury The Balkans re-
quire money, but their conquests have
given them unlimited credit Bulgaria
requires loan of $12O.O0O.OOO Greece
one hundred millions, Servia ninety mil
lions.
The cause Of the allies has become the
cause of the powers whom the Turk eX-
pected would be the cause and instru-
ment Of his rehabilitation. When Turkey
refused to follow the suggestion Of the
powers and surrender Adrianople the
powers were wellnigh persuaded to have
recourse to naval demonstration, which
would intimidate and precipitate the ces-
sion Of Adrianople and thus conclude a
peace. The assassination of Nazim
Pasha, the change Of ministry and the
return to power of the party of union
and progress came near deciding the
powers to interfere but for the fact that
proposed to dictate their terms upon the
battlefield.
It has been suggested that Russia, act
ing for the powers. could make a. naval
demonstration with her fleet in the Black
sea which could block the entrance to
the Bosphorus most effectively.
1t is quite understood that CONSTANT
nople is now the main objective of the
allies. It is true Con-
ConStantlnOple stantinople is protect
ol:A. ed against the Bull
"JSO'AS' garian army by the
Tchatalja lines and against the Greek
fleet by the Dardanelles Notifications.
When the inefficiency of the Bulgarian
siege pieces against Adrianople and also
Tchatalja was apparent the question of
the present movement in the Gallipoli
peninsula to prepare the way for the
Greek fleet was decided. The banks of
the Gulf of Saros are quite rugged and
steep and almost inaccessible. and in
any event the operation in the Gulf of
Saros would necessarily be accompanied
by a like movement on the Asiatic side
for example in Besika bay.
But why not attempt the taking of
Derkos and coast line Of the Black sea
to the entry OF the Bosphorus, distance
of nineteen miles? A movement or such
character supposes the control of the
Black sea and tnat the movement would
oOubtiess Will be made ii the situation
should be prolonged indefinitely. The
powers, 1t may be said, nave arrived at
such a state Of tension and impatience
that they Will be glad to give up the
Turk to any fate provided they may see
the end quickly.
The press OF Europe has been greatly
interested over the publication of the me-
moirs Of Abdul Hamid, ex-Suitan of Tur-
key, which have appeared on the author
tty OF Prof. Louis Stein in the February
number Of the German revue, Nord und
Sud.
The memoirs-Abdul Hamid entities
them Thoughts and Souvenirs"-are dis
tinctly political and contain a political
lesson not only because they lead up to
the present war of the Balkans but the
ex-sultan says some very bitter things Of
the powers. which he mentions in turn.
The memoirs of Prince Won Hohenlohe in
1906 created ripple in diplomatic and
political circles, but the memoirs of the
ex-sultan bid fair to surpass those of the
German diplomat. The editor promises
further revelations i'm the March number
of the Nord und Sud.