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Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 46, 22 August 1895, Page 2

In our cablegrams yesterday it was stated that the Porte had again rejected the demand of the Powers for " foreign control in executing reforms I in Armenia. This is only in accordance with the past history of the * policy of the unspeakable Turk, which ' is based on superstition and ignorance. '* There is a certain amount of cunning ' displayed, however, for the Sultan s knows perfectly well that no one European nation will declare war against him, while the whole of those who have undertaken the ungrateful task of endeavouring to protect the unfortunate Armenians are only likely to use moral suasion, for any attempt at the exercise of forcible means would . probably involve the Great Powers in „ a bloody and disastrous war — a result which each one dreads, notwithstanding his preparedness for such an unhappy contingency. As regards the Government of Turkey, the commands of the Sultan are absolute, unless opposed to the express direction of the Koran — a legal and theological code upon which the fundamental laws of the Empire are based. The area of Turkey is 1,147,578 square miles ; the the population in 1894 was about 28,000,000; revenue, £17,000,000; expenditure, £19,500,000 ; and public debt, £180,000,000. In the last item lies much of the security of the Empire, because the bondholders would earnestly protest against the absorption of the nation by any one stronger power. The Turkish military forces are organised on the territorial.system, the whole Empire being divided into six districts, and all Musselmans are liable to military service. Christians and certain sects pay an exemption tax. At present the cavalry is set down at 55,300; artillery 54,720, with 1856 fjuns ; engineers, 7400 ; infantry, 583,200. The strength of the auxiliary forces, consisting of nomad Arabs and Kurds, cannot be estimated. Englishmen who have served with the Turks in the field, and war correspondents for English and American papers, have described the private soldiers as splendid men, hardy and obedient, but the officers are almost be- - neath contempt in a vast majority of cases. The great fault lies with those in authority and the system of government ; not with the pecple. Ie must be understood that we do not intend it to be inferred that we condone in the smallest de- • gree the horrible atrocities committed on the Armenians, who are not quite blamei less themselves. The last disturbances s broke out through the murder of a Turk- " ish policeman by an Armenian. A fatal . fight followed, in which the Armenians were heavy losers. An attempt was made by a young Armenian at Constantinople to assassinate the Patriarch as he was leaving the Cathedral, the alleged motive being that he was damaging the - national interests and was incapable of managing Armenian affairs. The Patriarch resigned, saying the duties of the position were too onerous for him. It will be seen, then, that there were faults r on both sides, What will be the outcome of the trouble is not easy now to coniecture, but, if the Groat Powers are determined, it is quite within the limits of possibility that the Sultan may be forced to make amends, and accept the dictation of those who have the power to enforce it.