ENGLAND AND ASIA MINOR.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 60, 23 November 1878, Page 2

ENGLAND AND ASIA MINOR.

Hobart Paslia, Commander-in-Chief o tlir Turkish Navy, anil brother of th Into Liord Hobart, ex-Governor of Aln rlrnß, writes as follows to the Londo Times : So nmeb political capital lias been mod by the npp nts or the Government witl regard i E ng:aiu l v, rosponsibiiifcis u Asia Minor, caused by our Couvcutioi with Turkey, that I think a fow word From one who, like myself, has passei many years in close relation with Tur key ami the Turks may bo of some in terest. to your readers. There me, i seems to mo, three points on wliich thus responsibilities hinge—lirst, to establish i now and bolter system :. runiment ii the provinces of ,\>ia . r; second, ti rlevolopo their resourcca; third to proven tlm advance of tho groai enemy of tin Mussulmans race to Asiu Minor, As regard tho (Irsl and second of thesi point . I ran only say that the Turkisl people ure ripo lor prugrvn and utmgrj [if I mny iiso tho oxprossion) foruu en lire change in Hie system of government I'lio Turki ran i iilv led, not drivuti ind mi m 'oil oi it i- mud ■ cli ar to tli, i]

I t| .' 1,.. II) b&ndi Of justice and inU . _. , I .; I i rtO cia-h in [j( mj]i| from outsiders, are lie* i... in, thev will tliemselvi Bm • id of tie- old fatal --v -ten ,!,f | ...', ; iteration. Why has ia littli 1 progress been mad.- by the Tmks durinf p the Iwt 20 yeaw? Simply because 'hen I great en. my has prevented it. for when - over any measure of reform or progres - lias been prop.-,-!, a strong and well ; known hand iuvartably interfered to pre - vent its being carried out. It is a well a established fact that those (and their uauu i lias l«eii legion who for many years pasi I have endeavoured to obtaiu < eessiom I for the development of Asia Minor Imvi - I a check-mated by powerful influence ii used against them, and Russia nearlt :, made a casus belli of the introduction o - Parliamentary < iovernnieiit into Mr. Scot >- Russell, for example, backed by a power o lul liimucial association in England, wa ,' on the point of carrying a gigantic am t intelligent scheme for the development o - the riches of Asia Minor, when the eiiem; J above alluded to stepped in and prevente, it the affair being carried out. Sir Heur; hj Elliot can testify that for three years hj it used all his influence to obtain pormis d si.,n that a company might put up a emu is mercial dock at 'Constantinople, am e although tiii- would have been a worl :- of the very greatest importance, its con s slruetioti "was. hindered by the undis i- guised opposition of the Russian Ambiui - sador. i- 1 cannot insist lon strongly on the fat y that the Turkish people have never had y fair chant f going ale-ad. Hi : \, ;-.;, .."!.- Sr-'-.an !;; f w. .• as it < .<) honest ill his ideas of progress, ami n trust and b< lieve that most, if not all, ■ n his advisei-s hold equally eulighteiie ro views. The people of Turkey look in t- ploring to the Englishna'ion.prayingonl re for honest help and advice in what the ic hail as a new start in life. Asia Mini ." contains enormous riches, but who won! I■,; in etil ,-; ,s. - for In ■ ie ' pi-.. under such a stale of things us hi hitherto existed, and when the mere wor disgrace and exile any weli-meaning gc vernor had honest inteiilimis ti "' wards foreign enterprise, or \v!io pr„po-e i_ el'.angesin tin 1 f.irmof governnieiit '. An '" traveller in Asia Minor can seethousane , ! " of acr 'crops of every kind and dw 111 cription rotting on the ground for war •o () f mads bv which they emild be cot !s v.-ved to the iieare.-t market. lie ma '■" see forests of splendid and valuable trei ~ : which it i- impossible to take away; ni " : hie riv.-r-, unnavigiiblc. I'r eju-ily-r, :1 ' movable sand haul:--; wealth-giving miii '- tinioiiclied for waul of protection and si •>" euritv—both above the o-ound and mid. ■■'■ it uiuold riches are left uniitiliz-il. B,t '-'- govennu-s and sub-governors know tl >'■ state of things at Coustuiiliuoole. The *" well know that if ;'iike Midhat I'a-hi '- they encouraged any useful ret',.mi-, the ''' natural consequence tbey give all the '.'- r attention to self-aggrai'idizenienl. Tl 'o almost unpaid subordinates follow sui "; and the bad administration, caused, as 1,1 said before, hy foreign intrigue, goes o '- for ever. Remember, Sir. that the ei ''' lighteninent of Turkey is the ruin i '"• Russian ambition, if not of Russia i ct sc ]f_ »- The Turks have been so long ill-treatei '"' robbed, and trampled upon that it wi .'" lake some time to make them believe i st the hniiesi intentions of any strangei "■ I'-!-! ■': ' ! ell s- -\_'.l eVe g.-i, :- tn ■- OS "" lidence, there is nothing, so long as si vo arts honestly, thai he cannot do. Let i if '. wip il the im|jression caused by tl : - ma-ssaeres in I'.idgaria. 1 think" tin ''" they have been far surpassed by anothi " ! so-called civilized natirm. Let the Eli! v <- lish people forget [heir li hope temp'. 'I- rary) losses through Turkish loans, an -'• let '. ii. in act generously to a race wl '■'' will welcome them as saviour*. l ~' ideas regarding the lir.-t two points i "" whicil I think our responsibility hinge s " and now as to the 'protection of As "'. Minor from further aggression on tl 0 part of its natural enemv. It, is clear i I' 1 me that so soon as we have obtained || '" conlideiiee of the peiq.le we shall havei ,l | diliieiilty in forming a volunteer nilii'i ' : ' composed of stuff, "f which wehadaspi c '; men nl I'll vna, and who would, i believ '• require no pay. A nucleus, compose,! , ' a few English olliuors, should teach thei '.' their drill, and with such a force i II readiness for any emergency) 1 thin Russia would think twice before she a tacked Asia Minor again. If I may vei turn on an opinion on the action of ni Governnieiit, I should say thai I do n. of think it has taken upon 'isclf bv an ho menus an impossible or even a very one a- ona taak in it connexion with AsiaMinu j;i hut it i»certain that the Convention shu Russia up and goes far, very far, to mail . faiu Engliah prestige i,, the vory walls. Jl China. When .lOuglaud and Asiatic Tu • key are in accord, let the " Divine figu ,„ of the North " intrigue us he will, ho cu " do us no harm.