The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-11-26

the rebels as belligerents. This in
turn aroused the suspicious Of Rus
sia as to English designs in the
Lavant. and led to an offer of media
tion by Russia and Austria, which
the porte rejected. Egypt was thel:
drawn into the war, and lbrahim
Pasha overran the Morea. Once
more Russia threatened Intervention
in behalf of the oppressed Christians;
once more Canning acted to keep the
issue in the hands of the powers. AL
though Austria and Prussia with
drew from the conference, Great
Britain, France and Russia recogniz-
ed the treaty of London, in 1927,
the autonomy of Greece under thesuz-
erainty of Turkey; but this pro-
gramme was interrupted by the naval
battle of Navarino, at which the COM
bined squadrons under Sir Edward
Codrington destroyed the Turkish
fleet 1t is said that King William
w, a sailor himself, scribbled on the
margin of the cautious instructions
sent to the British admiral, the
words. Go it, Ned." At all events,
Sir Edward did "go it," and the fat
was in the fire once more.
The consequence was that Turkey
| broke off all relations with the pow
ers and engaged in holy war"
Meanwhile, Canning had died, and
England reverted to the old policy of
preserving the integrity of the Otto
man empire, so that Russia was left
to fight alone. She won the victory;
but even so she could not break up
the empire completely. BY the treaty
of Adrianople the Danubian prin-
cipalities became practically inde-
pendent States, and thus Turkish
suzerainity was left to plague Europe
down to the time of the Balkan war.
| 1t seemed to be the only alternative
between preserving Turkey or de-
stroying her. But it was in sense
the fons ct origo malls in the modern
eastern question.
On one condition only could Tur-
key be left a sovereign power in Eu-
rope. She must enter upon definite
policy of reform. Russia, indeed,
had every reason for blocking this
programme; if Turkey proved her
right to exist, the Russian flag would
not soon fly over Constantinople.
This was precisely what the other
powers, Great Britain and France in
particular did not desire. The efforts
of the British ambassador at Con-
stantinople, Lord Stratford de Red
cliffe, 1.-The great Elchi." to rejuve-
nate the infirm empire for time
seemed to promise success. That re-
markable man acquired an influence
over the Turkish government which
the cordial cooperation of the powers
might have made supreme. There
was no inherent impracticability in
reform in Turkey. But the conflict
ing ambitions of Nicholas I and Ma
poleon III, prevented such a coopera-
ton; and after the Crimean war,
though spasmodic efforts at reform
were made, the eastern question be-
came the football of international
politics again. Russia wanted Con-
stantinople, and the other powers
| were determined that she should not
have it; that was all.
The war of 1877 did not settle the
matter; Turkey was no match for
Russia, but when the latter again
threatened Constantinople British
fleet was sent to the Bosphorus. The
treaty of Berlin, when Disraeli, as he
said, won peace with honor" left
things much as they were, except
that the principle of Turkish suzer-
ainty instead OF sovereignty was
somewhat further extended. Since
then the fate of Turkey has been
hanging in the balance. The rise
of the Young Turks in 1908 was
hailed as an evidence of Turkish re-
generation; but Young Turk has
proved to be only Old Turk writ large,
and the Balkan war was one of the
first results of the aggressive cham
pionship of Moslemism. A second
result has been the appearance Of
Russia in the role of protector Of
the Slavic kingdoms-not against
Turkey only, but against Austria and
Germany, who have been playing in
later years the part once played by
England and France. For Austria
seeks extension southwark and Ger
many has IN mind the dominination
the Orient.
Plainly, therefore, the fate of Tur-
key and of Constantinople is likely
to be settled for good by the present