Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, DEC. 17, 1896. The European Situation.

Manawatu Herald, 17 December 1896, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, DEC. 17, 1896. The European Situation.

Some excitement is trying to bo raised because the former Russian Minister at Constantinople is on a visit to the Emperor of Austria. Whenever any of the European monarchies visit one another dreadful combinations to secure the destruction of some other neighbouring Powor is dreamt of. It is not a happy life to live nor is it anywhere near the object of such meetings, but the enormous strain the cost of bet ping up such large armaments entail upon Europe causes dissatis faction and fear, and impels the desire to, perhaps, get the next war over as soon as possible But the next war, would only mean another war in the course of a few years and Britain's statesmen are acting well in putting off the evil day as long as they can, till it may be, that sense will dawn upon the inhabitants to find that war does not pay. 8;ill the trouble in Armenia is exlrem ly ticklish to all European nations and fortunate it in fur England that Loi'd Salisbury and not Mr Gladstone is at the head of affairs. Tuvkey has got to learn that such atrocities as have taken place in Armenia are viewed with abhorrence by civilised nations, and will be prevented, and the delay in making that plain to the Sultan arises from what might occur if war was necessary. We are assured that Russia is not anxious to ocoupy Constantinople, but she is anxious that England should a>t, nor does she wish to see Austria there. The idea appears to be that any farther dismemberment of the Turkish Empire would lead to an European war from the desire of the adjoiuing States securing a slice, not mentioning the possibility of England wanting something. We thus find the cause of the difficulty in concerted action by all the Great Powers. After the visit of the Kussian Emperor to England we were informed that tha Rusdan and English policy had been agreed upon, and the visit now announced of the Russian Minister to the Austrian Court appears to harmonise with prior news, and that Austria will shortly give in her adhesion to a decided course of action with regard to the Sultan. Mi* Stead in the last number of the Review of Reviews ridicules the necessity fur bloodshed to bring the Sultan to task, and says " The methods of coercion that are available under suoh circumstances are numerous. The simplest and moat obvious would be the stoppage of supplies. Constantinople occupies a magnificent position which oan be held against great odds, provided that its oooupmt has the control of the sea; otherwise, the ruler of Constantinople is like a rat in a trap. Constantinople is not a city that feeds its own population any more than London. Ie draws its supplies from Asia on the one side, and from Russia and the Balkan peninsula on the other. The Russian fleet in the Black Sea, with the international fleet would force the Dardanelles and cut off communication between Asia and Europe, would very soon suffice to starve the Sultan into submission. The only military operation that might be necessary would be the landing of a small force to occupy the railway and the high road by whicb supplies might be poured into the country from Adrianop'e. For the Sultan to talk of resisting the will of Europe while, without firing a shot, Europe could starve them into submission, is too absurd Of course, even

even if we had the Sultan like a rat in a trap, or a bear in a pit, he might still emulate the heroism of Sardanapalua, and decide to perish in the midst of a conflagration that would be the funeral pyre of both his city and his dynasty. But when once it was dearly understood by the populace, the army, and the pashas and the Sheikh-ul Islam, that there was no intention to destroy the Ottoman Empire or to interfere with the dynasty of Othman, they would make very ehort work of the Assassin — whether by deposition or by execution would be immaterial.