The Press. THURSDAY. APRIL 9, 1896.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9386, 9 April 1896, Page 4

The Press. THURSDAY. APRIL 9, 1896.

A FEARFUL RESPONSIBILITY,

Very few monarchs are to be envied ; but few even of these unfortunates have had to face such a responsibility as that which confronts the one man who directs the foreign policy of England to - day. The eternal Eastern question in its last and acutest development ia no longer a mere matter of diplomacy. To desert Armenia is the one course that would seem to be forbidden to England by the traditions of English generosity and honour, and by the records of our Foreign Minister's past career. But. at the present time it does not seem that England can do more than she has done, and that, so far, has been absolutely futile. No one denies the facts about Armenia. The people of this unfortunate country are suffering from Turkish government in the worst form, and Turkish rule, says Freeman, is simply a lasting case of Bulgarian atrocities. The Armenians are described by those who know this doomed race as honest, industrious, and intelligent. They once had a fine literature, and even the Russians know that Lazabeff and Melikoff were not the only great soldiers born in Armenia. But largely * on religious grounds, th» Sultan, or the gang of official criminals who, rule him, have decided on the extermination of the Armenians. This process is being carried out now with a degree of cynical atrocity that make 3 it impossible to reproduce the most striking facts for ordinary European readers. It is easy to make a mistake in one's estimate of the political bearings of this confused question. But as Sir W. Harcoubt said the other day, it is not possible to exaggerate the truly diabolical cruelty which ig the ordinary characteristic of Turkish "rule." Since 1820 the Turks have murdered—not in war, but as an incidental phase of " government "—as nearly as can be reckoned 100,000 of their Christian subjects. The facts wpre. patent seventy/e&i'si ago as ihey aw now,

and in 187S the Powers took a decisive step, and tried by the Berlin Treaty to impress a European view of the situation upon the Sublime Porte and the Sultan.

The famous "Article Sixty-one" of the Berlin Treaty, to which tba Armenians and their sympathisers constantly appeal, reads as follows : — " The Sublime Porte engages to realise, without any delay, the ameliorations which are demanded by the local wants of the provinces inhabited by the Armenians and guarantees their security against Circassians and Kurds. It will periodically make known the measures taken to this end to the Powers, who will superintend the application of them." The only possible sense in which this article has any valuable meaning is unfortunately liable to be misunderstood. Lord Salisbury pointed out last February in the debate on the Address-in-Reply that there was nothing in the article that bound England to go to war 'to enforce the promised reforms, and that anything that could be done in the way of bringing pressure to bear upon Turkey must be done by way of the united action of the Powers—through what is for some mysterious reason called the concert of Europe.

On this point a few weighty remarks by Mr. Balfoup. deserve consideration. He declared, in the debate on the Address, that short of bringing upon ourselves the responsibility of a possible European conflagration, we could have done no more in the direction of helping these unhappy people than we actually have done. He asserted—and this should constantly be borne in mind—that England alone of all nations is inspired by disinterested sympathy for this suffering race. " We, and we •' alone, have present in our minds a " large measure of the horror of those " dark deeds that have been done in " Armenia. But what foreign diplo- " mafcists have ever in their minds are " the inevitable evils that must over- " take Europe if the Eastern question " is again opened from top to bottom ; 'f- and they are not prepared to lift a " finger to assist in impressing upon " the Sultan the duty of carrying' " out reforms which might pro- " vide some security for the Christian " population in Asia Minor." Lord Salisbury went even further in raising the veil which usually shrouds diplomatic action at such a crisis. Nothing could have saved the Armenians, he says, but a military occupation of their country by a foreign power. But, he adds, " the " other powers of Europe were by no " means inclined to encourage or to " help and to tolerate a military occu- " pation on our part. Russia has " stated in the clearest terms that " the Emperor objects, and has the " strongest repugnance to the use of " force on the part of Russia, and an "equally strong repugnance to the " use of force on the part of any of the " other Powers." If England had attempted to use force, the Foreign Minister went on, she would have to do so without adequate resources in the face of Turkish resistance; and he added, "We should have had " to meet the danger I do not wish to " define more closely involved in " the disapproval of the European " Powers." It must he remembered that no other man in England knows the actual facts of the present position as well as Lord Salisbuby knows them. But he is not alone in this assertion of the helplessness of England. It did not need the German Emperor's message to the: Transvaal to remind England that she cannot now depend for any purpose on any Continental ally. Mr. Henry Norman, an experienced authority on Oriental matters, declared in January last that "rib English statesman could have " ventured to take the risk involved "in isolated action. All the Anne- " nians in existence are not worth " the risk to the freedom of mankind "of England being reduced to a " second rate Power. For this was " the risk we should have run if single " handed we had launched our battle- " ships and found too late that the " universal jealousy of us had " crystallised into an active league of " united opposition." It can do little good to fix the responsibility of such a state of affairs now that so little can. be done. It is strange that those who are now loudest in upbraiding Lord Salisbury were foremost in preaching the policy of isolation >hich has left England helpless to redeem her promises, and to give the answer that the nation would gladly give to the bitter cry of the Armenians. And these reckless assertions of England's duties and intentions towards the Turks have had the worst possible effect on their helpless subjects. "We have squeezed the Turk," says Mr. Norman, "and the Armenians <»ove been hurt." Exasperated at the thought of losing their power, the. Turkish Government, afraid of seeing the policy of interference carried into effect, have taken vengeance on the miserable Christians who seem to them disturbers of their peace. The result has been that in the words of a Vienna journal, "next summer Christianity will, learn that, at least in the mountainous districts, nothing remains to be done for the Armenians because none will be left."