THE EUROPEAN SITUATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 1894, 9 March 1888, Page 11

THE EUROPEAN SITUATION.

Thk reply made by Lord Salisbury to the Czar's Note on the deposition ol Prince Ferdinand goes to the heart of the question. Prince Ferdinand's position in Bulgaria is certainly a contravention of the Treaty of Berlin. No one except the Bulgarians themselves—who appear to be considered to have the least right to a say in the question — has authorised him to be at Sofia ; and Prince Bismarck is believed to have disapproved his adventure almost as much as the Oar, and is further known to hare personal objections to him as an Orleanisfc as well as on account of his violation of the Treaty of Berlin. But Prince Ferdinand is now the man in possession, and serves the purposes of the position vciy well. He is acceptable to the Uuljravians, and maintains the status quo against Russian intrigue. No one except Russia has any practical interest in his expulsion, and no other Power is likely to move in the matter. Turkey, who is suzerain of Bulgaria, and as such is the Power to be set in motion by the European Powers to give the Prince notice to quit and to enforce that notice, is disinclined to give the notice, and most unlikely to attempt to enforce it if she should be compelled to give it. She attaches no value to her nominal authority over Easb Roumelia, and if sho were to take up arms to enforce it she would bring a storm upon her head in every one of her European provinces, which would probably complete her dismemberment. 1b would seem that if Prince Ferdinand lias to bo turned out, Eussia, as the only Power with an interest in his expulsion, is likely to undertake the job — and what that means is sufficiently obvious. As Lord Salisbury very justly says, before the Powers give Prince Ferdinand notice to quit, they must know what his expulsion is going to lead to. That it can lead to anything else except the predominance of Russia in Bulgaria ifc is difficult, to believe. It looks as if this Bulgarian difficulty had been stirred up again by the Czar as an excuse for following up his intrigues in Bulgaria by more overt action. The latest telegrams state that a European Congress is proposed as away out. of the difficulty, but Lord Salisbury improbably right in thinking that as long as the Czar's views of llussian claims in 13ulearia are so much at variance from those entertained by t,hc other Powers, there is no common ground to hold a Congress upon, and the only result would be to make the existing differences more pronounced.