The Daily News. MONDAY, OCTOBER 24. TURKISH AFFAIRS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 167, 24 October 1910, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, OCTOBER 24. TURKISH AFFAIRS.

In the matter of revolutions, the sudden and astounding changes,in Portugal are not more fascinating than the equally astounding changes in European Turkey. The people of both countries revolted against crusted precedent, the thumb-/ screw of royal oppression and the sin of pay without work. The Young Turks appear to be extremely active, ambitious, powerful and unscrupulous. The exKing (usually referred to with grejit cheerfulness as ''Abdul the Damned' ') is living in magnificent captivity in his kiosk at Yildiz. The Young Turks have been kind to him; he is allowed every luxury, and it is possible he is much happier as a private citizen that as a Sultan. Having cleared the ground for the furtherance of schemes of great ambition by the removal of the Sultan, the Young Turkish Party, possibly seek to revive the ancient glory of the country by conquest. As an illustration of the rapidity of the fall of nations it, is to be remembered that at one time Turkey was the chief military Power in Europe and was extremely formidable on the sea. 'When Turkey was at the acme of her power and influence, the Balkan States were added to the Crown. These, together with many other great and rich possessions, made the Ottoman Empire a naval, military and commercial power on which envious eyes were turned. United fleets smashed the sea power of Turkey at Lepanto in 1571. The general decline of Turkey is comparatively modern and her aggressiveness and power weakened after the Treaty of Belgrade in 1739. It is impossible, in examining modern relations in which Turkey is so vastly interested, to forget the great influence of Russia. The Balkans always seethe, their peoples have internal and external quarrels and the great power of the Russian Empire is used by the conflicting elements as ammunition for quarrels and in the sectional strife for freedom. The Turks and the Greeks quarrel over Crete, because it is traditional that they should quarrel. Peter the Great and the great Empress Catherine, both extremely brilliant and ambitious royalties, cast their eyes oil Constantinople, and Catherine's scheme was to restore the Greek Empire under her grandson, Constantine. The alliance of Russia and Austria in 1789 was entirely to this end, and the intended result was defeated by the statesmanship of Pitt,'whose policy was to maintain the balance of power in Europe. His great move brought about an alliance bewteen Britain, Holland and Prussia. Austria cast Russia adrift, Catherine signed the Peace of Jassy in 1792, and it was pretended the hell-broth in the Balkans would .cease seething for ever. But Eastern Europe still seethed and' culminated in the Crimean War, the thin excuse of Russia in attacking Turkey being that the Czar should have the right of protecting Christians in Turkey. The alliance between England, France, Turkey and Sardinia against Russia and the terrible war that ensued, did not really have the intended effect of pacification. Neither the war nor the signing of the Peace of Paris quieted the people of Turkey's Christian provinces and in 1875 Bulgaria, Servia and Herzegovina openly revolted against the rule of the Porte. Russia gladly seized the opportunity of inflicting punishment, the Turks were defeated and by the Treaty of San Stefano three years afterwards Bulgaria, Roumania, Servia and Montenegro became nominally independent. Britain's firm refusal to accept some of the conditions of this treaty almost precipitated another war. Indeed, Britain threatened war if the modifications desired were not agreed to. The Treaty of Berlin was the outcome of British diplomacy. Then followed the war between Turkey and Greece, the Powers intervening to make Turkey's win ineffective. There happened afterwards the awful revolution in Bulgaria and the dreadful massacres of Armenia. It is held that the object of the Young Turkish Party in fomenting a war with a foreign Power and in generally stirring up strife in the "powder magazine of Europe," is a diplomatic move to obtain eventual peace at home. What the future has in store for Turkey, Greece and the seething States in the "powder magazine" area is food for fascinating speculation.