TURKEY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 283, 24 August 1908, Page 7

TURKEY.

NAVY AND FINANCES. THE PERSIAN FRONTIER DISPUTE, ini TELEGBArn—ntEss association—corißionT.) London, August 21. Reuter's Agency reports that the new Turkish Government has resolved to engage a British officer to reorganise tho navy, and a French advisor to rehabilitato the finances. The new Turkish Government has promised to equitably settle tho Persian frontier disputo. AUTONOMY: TURKISH AND RUSSIAN. "It is liis Majesty the Sultan's voluntary gift." So said the Consul for Turkey in Sydney. Espor Nnssoor-Bcy, with respectful emphasis on "his Majesty," when approached upon tho subject of Turkey's new Constitution. "Tho Turkish Constitution, I take it," he said, "will have some resemblance to tho Russian. His Majesty tho Sultan, in his wisdom, doubtless has been watching tho progress of events in constitutional Russia. Ho may have based his ideas on-what Russia has done. But.l cannot say that. Ido not know, having not yet received any official advices. In many respects Russia has similar problems to Turkey; and that is my reason for supposing that tho Turkish Constitution will bo on lines similar to the Russian. In Turkey we have a largo admixture of races with clashing interests, and so has Russia.

"I think, to tho majority of the Turkish people, tho new Constitution will bo most acceptable. Patience will be an admirablo virtuo in tho development of events. The ignorant masses will expect much quickly. They will find it difficult to understand that important rol'orms cannot be accomplished in a day. As in Russia, they will have to be educated up to the new order of things. But at the outset they cannot fail to see that his Majesty lias made very, great concessions, and that should have a steadying effect on the progress of events. I take it as a very good omen that Bulgar and Albanian chiefs havo fraternised,"