The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1905. ANOTHER EASTERN CRISIS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 276, 18 November 1905, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1905. ANOTHER EASTERN CRISIS.

For the cause that lacks assistance. For the tcrong that needs resistance. For ihe future in the distance. And the twod that tee on* 4m.

One of the most successful of recent cartoons in "Punch" depicts the Sultan of Morocco complaining to the Sultan of Turkey that the Powers are going to hold a conference about him. "Splendid, my boy!" replies Abdul Hamid, consolingly. "Why, look at mc! I just live on conferences." And that humorous statement of the case is not very far from the truth. For the last half century or more Turkey has been maintained as an independent Empire solely by tlie mutual jealousies of the Powers; and the numerous conferences that have been held to discuss the affairs of the Balkan States have all resolved themselves into more or less ingenious

schemes to prevent any one Power from gaining ground in Turkey at the expense of another. Just as the Powers have learned to dread the break up of China because of the inevitable "rush for the spoil," so they fear the dismemberment of Turkey lest the division of her territories should precipitate the long dreaded European war. This is the only explanation for the apparent complacency with which the civilised PoweTS have looked on so long at the appalling spectacle of Turkish misrule. As Freeman says, the government of Christians by Turks is and always must be a prolonged exhibition of "Bulgarian atrocities;" and the hideous crimes which stirred the wrath of the civilised world in 1877-8 have been repeated again and again within the last ten years in Macedonia. But international diplomacy has no heart; and not even England has yet proposed to sacrifice her material interest in the preservation of Turkey by using armed force-..t0 protect the hapless Christians in + be Balkan States against their relentless oppressors. All these facts render the combined demontration of the Powers now suddenly announced to us no less surprising to the world at large than to the Sultan of Turkey and his people.

The Macedonian question, which is the pretext for this concerted movement, is of old standing. When Russia defeated Turkey in 1878, the Treaty of San Stefano attached Macedonia to Bulgaria, and gave the two districts the same degree of freedom and autonomy. Then England intervened and forced upon Russia the Treaty of Berlin, which left Macedonia still a Turkish dependency, but stipulated that reforms should be carried out in the provinces under the supervision of foreign commissioners. This pledge Turkey subsequently repudiated, and the Powers weakly allowed the Sultan to do as he pleased. The natural consequence has been that the Macedonians have been systematically subjected to the same ferocious and brutal treatment that has at various times driven into rebellion all the Christian subjects of Turkey. The Bulgarians, who naturally sympathise with the people' of the same race and faith across the border, have long demanded that the Macedonians shall be incorporated with them; and they have even threatened to fight for their miserable co-religionists. But the Powers have obstinately refused to modify the Treaty of Berlin. Russia is strongly opposed to any aggrandisement of Bulgaria which, instead of being a facile friend and ally, now glories in its independence, and bars the way against Russia's advance toward Constantinople. The others Powers, and more especially Austria and Gsrrnany, object to any re-arrangement of the States which would disturb the balance of power between Servia, Bulgaria, and Greece. And thus, through the mutual jealousies of his enemies, the Sultan has been able to pursue his chosen course with impunitj-. The Macedonians, driven to desperation, formed patriotic "committees" and organised rebellion; and affairs came to a climax in 1902. But the rebels, though brave, racked arms, discipline, and money; and the rising in Monastir was put down with the usual barbarities. Even Russia now saw that there must be a change of some sort; for Bulgaria was on the point of following £he example of Greece and risking everything in a desperate effort to save the Macedonians from extermination. By the end of 1902, therefore, Austria and Russia, representing the Powers, laid before the Porte a scheme of reforms which 1 the Sultan promptly accepted; and the history of Macedonia for the last three years has been the outcome of the futile efforts made by the Powers to get these reforms carried into effect.

For the first year the Saltan made not even a pretence of carrying out the reforms, and 1903 was marked by desperate fighting on the part of the insurgents and sanguinary excesses by the

Bashi Bazouks. Bulgaria gave a last warning to the Powers thai "her people could no longer be restrained; and An* tria and Russia then addressed the Sultan in such threatening terms that he Was compelled to make some sort of formal submission. The reform scheme, thus reconstructed, provided for a system of joint foreign control in Macedonia. Law courts to protect the Christians were to 'be established, the system of tax collecting was to he changed, and —most important change of all—the local gendarmerie or Turkish soldiery and police were to be re-organ-ised under Europeans. Five officers each from Russia, Austria, England, France, and Italy were appointed to assist in reforming the police and protecting the Christians. But the Governor of Macedonia,- Hiltni Pasha, is the man directly responsible for the atrocities committed in Monastir and Kossova in 1902-3; and he has employed all the ingenuity and cunning of which Orientals are pastmasters in deceiving and thwarting the representatives of the Powers. As usual, the Sultan has been able to cajole the Powers infco accepting his protests and condoning his evasions. But the presence of these foreign military officers has rendered it impossible for the Turks to conceal their' atrocious methods of tyranny; and the revolutionary committees in Macedonia do not intend to let their cause go by default. Sarafoff, the hero of the insurrection, has declared I that the only way to rouse the conscience of Europe is to render all Europe's material interests in Turkey— trade and property —absolutely insecure. "Autonomy or Anarchy" is now the watchword of the rebels, and they have done their work so well that now at last, for very shame's sake, the Powers have decided that the tragic farce which the Sultan has played so long and so successfully must come to a close.

The last decisive step concerted by the Powers was taken in May this year when Lord Lansdowne intimated that the finances of Macedonia must be administered under international control. The Sultan naturally resented this arrangement as interfering directly with the internal affairs of Turkey; but in this instance he seems to have temporised too long. The Powers have decided that further argument is useless, and that other measures having failed, a combined fleet shall be sent to overawe the Sultan, and, if necessary, bring him to reason by seizing the Dardanelles. This is the point which the Eastern crisis has reached to-day; and further developments will be anxiously aWait- ; cd. But though it would be rash to predict the course that events may ! now take, we may at least hazard the suggestion that the combined demonstration by the Powers may indicate an important change in the point of view from which Turkey has been so long regarded. Bad as the state of Macedonia is to-day, it is no worse than the normal condition of Christian countries under Turkish rule. The Sultan has deceived the Powers and broken his word to them in Macedonia, but he has constantly done so before in Armenia without endangering his throne. The interference of the Powers at this juncture certainly suggests that there they may no longer be actuated by the reasons which have so long induced them to maintain the tyranny of Turkey. It >s conceivable that England, having realised that she "backed the wrong horse" in 1855 and 1878, may now have decided that she can no longer cheek Russia's advance toward the Mediterranean. And though the present helplessness of Russia may have something to do with England's unwonted activity, it is possible that this demonstration may prepare the way for a "friendly understanding" between Russia and England with respect to the Balkan Peninsula. But whatever be the outcome in this direction, we may at least hope that the Powers will not cease their intervention till they have rescued the survivors of the Macedonians from the terrible fate which all the Christian subjects of Turkey have endured so long.