The Hastings Standard Published Daily. THURSDAY, JULY 1, 1897. THE PROSPECTS FOR PEACE.

Hastings Standard, Issue 361, 1 July 1897, Page 2

The Hastings Standard Published Daily.

THURSDAY, JULY 1, 1897. THE PROSPECTS FOR PEACE.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrongs that need resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do.

The armistice arranged between Greece and Turkey on the mediation of the Great Powers has now run into several weeks, and the treaty negotiations which M. Hanotaux the other day stated were on the eve of completion are still withheld from publication, presumably because those negotiations are not complete. The lengthy period absorbed in the peace negotiations is ominous, and shows with abundant clearness that the Concert of Europe is not the perfect peace-producing machine it was alleged to be. The Eastern question as it is called is still undecided, and it is doubtful if a settlement is possible without recourse to the persuasive powers of artillery and rifles. It is but a small affair, but nevertheless an indicating straw, that a military member of the House of Commons, who made a study of the problem immediately after the outbreak of hostilities on the Thessalian frontier, returned to England fully persuaded that a European war was inevitable, and in support of this opinion sold such of his stock exchange securities as would be affected by the outbreak of hostilities. The events of the last few days lend a measure of support to the belief that war is imminent, for we have the fact that Moslem raids in Crete have begun once more, and in Grecian territory the Turks have occupied a strategetical point eliciting a responsive movement on the part of the Greeks. The European concert succeeded in making a formidable naval demonstration in Cretan waters and also in confining hostilities to Greece and Turkey, but beyond that nothing of any importance has been accomplished, and now this boasted concert is on the verge of a disastrous dissolution. The concert of Europe has succeeded in rehabilitating the Turkish Empire. It was only the other day that the Sultan professed to be willing to accede to and conform to the wishes of the Great Powers, but the successes of the Turkish Army against Greece and the moral support he has obtained irom

Germany has completely changed his position. Instead of being anxious to comply with the wishes of the Powers he seems disposed to dictate to them, and to that perhaps is due the prolonged nature of the treaty negotiations. The demands of the Sultan upon Greece were characteristically oriental in their exorbitancy, and although they were at once repudiated by the Powers he has as a matter of fact receded only to a very slight extent. His intention to hold to the conquered province of Thessaly he has shown to be quite real, and that his subjects expect to see Thessaly incorporated in the Ottoman Empire is conclusively proved by their action. The high officials have removed their domestic appurtenances and human chattels to the new province, and the louver orders have settled upon the fertile spots deserted by the fugitive Greek landowners. The Bui tan is being influenced ostensibly by the expression of public opinion in Turkey, for he has intimated that much to the Powers. And as far as outsiders can judge he appears to be well backed by his people. The army has demanded that Thessaly be -retained, and the army being the only organised body capable of making its opinion immediately felt, attention must be paid to its demands. The influence of the church—and in Turkey the church is represented by a very highly organised and powerful body—has been cast with that of the armj-. When these two elements act and react on each other the Throne must give way. The Grand Vizier, the War Minister, and the Shaikh ul Islam have jointly and severally told their imperial master what is expected of him, and Abdul Hamid, who lives in constant fear of the hand of the assassin, dare not disobey even were he inclined to do so. But the prospect of retaining the conquered territory is not distasteful to the Sultan, and he will therefore use all his diplomacy to accomplish his end. The point is will the Sultan be allowed to keep Thessaly and mulct Greece in a heavy fine. The Powers do not wish it, and the negotiations now going on have in view the modification of the treaty terms. But the great Powers are not in unison. Germany has openly avowed the cause of Turkey. Russia is vascillating, Austria is undecided ; but England, France and Italy are in accord. The solution rests with Lord Salisbury. If he makes a determined stand—and this is what we may expect, from him now that the Jubilee celebrations are over —he will have the active support of Italy, and in all probability of France also. This formidable combination, to which must be added the moral support of the United States, may be sufficient to overawe the others; but if it is not, then surely war is inevitable unless the Sultan voluntarily backs down, which is indeed too much to expect. At the moment the attitude of England's Foreign Minister is the most interesting point ; but Lord Salisbury has observed a discreet silence during the past fortnight. We may expect, therefore, that when he does speak it will be to announce a definite line of -policy, which may mean peace or war. The outlook is gloomy, and it is possible that before the European summer merges into autumn the crack of the rifle and the roar of artillery will be manufacturing widows and orphans among the nations of Europe.