The Situation in Europe.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 214, 12 November 1896, Page 6

The Situation in Europe.

• i THE CLOUDS LETTING. t London, November 9. \ In the course of a speech at the Lord ' Mayor's banquet this evening, Lord Salisbury stated that the Venezuela question had " been settled, and that the solution of the difficulty had emanated from the United ! States. Referring to the Armenian question and the attitude of Turkey, he declared it was imperative that Great Britain should aot [ in concert with the other Powers. November 10. Speaking at the Lord Mayor's banquet last \ night, Lord Salisbury said that after an r anxious yeat the Foreign Office was relatively c calm. Referring to the Eastern question he - said isolated action was the worst way to 3 rescue Christian Moslems from the hands of ; \ atrocious tyrants. The British navy and - army were unfitted to amend misrule in the E t interior of Asia Minor, although with the j assistance of other Powers reforms might be 5 effected. He denied that the Powers were i selfish except in trying to avert war, and t \ said the splendid isolation of Great Britain I enabled her to. exhibit emotional sympathy, ■ but the safety of Powers in the vicinity of ; Turkey was more vitally affected. The idea _ ' of abandoning territory to conciliate the r Powers was idyllic and absurd, and con--1 certed action was now found to be a better 1 method to pursue. He went on to say that ■ it was antiquated diplomacy to suggest that | antagonism was necessary between Russia and Great Britain, and added that he had good grounds for believing that Russia's j views on the question were identical with our own, although the two nations differed • ■ as to the best means to be adopted to enforce reforms. Personally, he would concur in 1 any proposal to force the Sultan to effect reforms if the other Powers approved. He I ridiculed the reforms which the Sultan had promised the French Minister for Foreign Affairs he would carry out. Alluding to Egyptian affairs, Lord Salisbury paid a high ? tribute to the services of Lord Cromer and Brigadier-general KitcheHer. i Pabis, November 9. i M. Hanotaux's recent speech in the Cham- ■ ber of Deputies was cabled to the Sultan, ■ who had three hours' interview with M. Campbon, the French Ambassador. The i Sultan afterwards issued promises which : were cabled to the Turkish Ambassador in . Paris, and by him communicated to M. Hanotaux.