The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1, No. 16, February 25, 1897 A Weekly Magazine for Boys and Girls

Excerpt

There does not seem to be any prospect of a settlement of the Turkish troubles.

The various European powers have called the Sultan to account for the massacres in Armenia, and laid out a system of reforms, which they think should be made.

But this is as far as they have got.

"You may lead a horse to the water, but you cannot make him drink." The various powers of Europe are learning that this is a very true saying.

They have decided upon the reforms that Turkey ought to make, but they are as puzzled as they can be to know how they are going to make the Sultan order these reforms.

Germany, France, Italy, Austria, England, and Russia have been discussing the matter for weeks.

They have been saying among themselves, "What on earth are we going to do if Turkey flatly refuses to make any reforms at all?"

This is the European conundrum.

The consequence is, that the full list of reforms has not yet been given to the Sultan.

All the powers are feeling that it is of no use to tell him what they insist shall be done, until these same powers have made up their minds what they are going to do, if he tells them all to go away and mind their own business.

England suggests that, if the Sultan refuses, they shall call out their soldiers and sailors, and fight him till they make him obey.

Russia is unwilling that the Sultan should be forced to do what he does not wish to do.

The Russian Minister at Constantinople says that he knows for a fact, that if the powers do anything to lower the Sultan's dignity in the eyes of Europe, all the Turks will rise and make war upon the offending country.

Russia says that to carry out the reforms that Europe asks for will take money, and she thinks it would be wiser for Europe to provide Turkey with the necessary money, and then keep an eye over her, and, through the control this loan of money would give, see that the reforms are carried out.

This seems the most sensible plan, but nothing has been decided upon.

The desired reforms deal entirely with the way the various provinces shall be governed.

Turkey is a very large empire, and the trouble with the present system of government is, that the Sultan does not have resident ministers for the various parts of it, as other countries do, but governs the whole himself, being guided entirely by the advice of the few people near him in his palace, who do not know the affairs of the empire any better than he does, but advise him according to their own whims, or prospects of making money out of the country. The result is great injustice to the people.

Europe feels that this is not a proper way to govern a great country, and insists that he shall rule his people with law and justice.

Europe says that the Sultan must appoint ministers to govern the different parts and departments of his empire, and that he must, as other sovereigns do, ask the advice of his ministers before he makes the laws, and not be guided entirely by personal favorites and friends.

While all Europe is uneasy about him, the Sultan is keeping very quiet, not letting any one have the smallest idea what he means to say or do when these reforms are offered to him.