TURKISH CRISIS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 53, 20 July 1912, Page 5

TURKISH CRISIS.

THE XEW CABINET. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Constantinople, July 18. The resignation of the Cabinet was due to its inability to accept Mahmud Maukhtar's conditions for the acceptance of the portfolio of War, namely the withdrawal of troops from Albania and the inauguration of a policy of trust. Tewfik Pasha becomes Grand Vizier, Nazim Pasha, it was hoped, would form a neutral Cabinet, and this, with the retirement of the Young Turk leaders, would ensure the co-operation of all parties. The resignation of the Cabinet was attributed to internal dissensions, but the real reasons were the insistence on their demands by the mutinous officers, the spread of the Albanian rising, and the growing discontent with the Committee of Union and Progress. Tewfik IVlia. Ambassador at Lon- : don, has been given a free hand in the formation of a Cabinet. ATTACK ON .MONTENEGRINS. APPEAL TO THE PORTE. Received 19, 10.10 p.m. Cettinge, July 19. The Turkish soldiers crossed the frontier near Lake Scutari, and killed and < mutilated-nine Montenegrins. There is great excitement in Montenegro, and a vigorous protest has been addressed to the Porte. MORE TROUBLE IN THE DARDA- , NELLES. Received 19, 11.35 p.m. Constantinople, July 19. ( A heavy cannonade is in progress in j the direction of Kumkalei, at the entrance of the Dardanelles. ALBANIA'S DISCONTENT. THE MOST WARLIKE SUBJECTS OF, THE SULTAN. ] In a lecture on Turkish affaire deliv- i ered in Manchester recently, Mr. 11. C. Woods, a well-known authority on the subject, described the condition of Al- ! bania and Macedonia and the prospect \ before these countries. The Albanian subjects of the Sultan, who probably numbered between 1,000,000 and 1,200.000 souls, said Mr. Woods, were divided into two main groups j Tosks and Gheg.s. As the Tosks or Southern Albanians were, on the whole, less warlike than their northern brothers, they had for many years been more amenable to Ottoman control. The larger proportion of the Tosks were Ma- J hoinniedans, but I hose who were , tians belonged to the Orthodox Church. They were not divided into regular tribes, but had a system of beys or chiefs, to whom they turned for lentiovship and guidance in all matters of importance. The Fliegs or Northern Albanians, some of whom were Moslems and some Roman Catholics, were made up of a number of warlike tribes, each having a practically separate organisation. The Moslem Albanians were not fanatical, and therefore the question of religion in Albania was cf little importance compared with the role which it played in other portions of the Ottoman Empire. At present discontent was rife from j North to South Albania. To begin with, all the Albanians of the north who refrained from joining in the revolt of last ; year were discontented because they considered that they ought to be granted the same concessions as those promised by the Turkish Government to the revolted Malissori tribes. The Malissori tribes themselves were dissatisfied beeaused they felt that the promises made by the Government at the conclusion of last year's revolt had not been carried out. In Southern Albania, in addition to the ever-increasing discontent largely caused by the continued efforts of the Government not only to force the Turkish language upon the inhabitants, but to prevent the Albanians from opening schools and learning their own mother tongue, the painful impression left by the march of Sheyket Torgut Pasha at the end of 1910, and by the ignominious treatment to which many Albanians were then subjected, had done much to add to the already existing discontent among the population. As in the case of Macedonia, the future of Albania was diflicult to foretell. Whilst the Albanians were divided in religion. they were united by love of their country. One thing was certain, that as these warlike people advanced in civilisation, and they were advancing every day, they would become more united. Whether or not the majority of the Albanians at present had as part of their programme an autonomous Albania it was difficult to say, but it appeared to the lecturer that the more enlightened leaders were certainly shaping their programme in that direction. As far as-Al-bania was concerned, the problem which would eventually 'have to he solved was whether that district should be formed into an autonomous province within or without the Turkish Empire. The solution depended upon the attitude of the Young Turks towards the Albanians. If the administration of the Government was improved, and if the Albanians were allowed to develop their own nationality, the most warlike European subjects of the Sultan would also be those upon whom both he and his .Ministers could always depend as each new internal or external crisis anise.