Portentous Developments in the War
By J. G. C.
A CABLE message from London of February 25 announces that Sir Edward Grey, in reply to a question from the floor of Parliament, stated that England is now willing to abandon her traditional opposition toward Russia's acquisition of a “warm water port,” and will support the recently avowed purpose expressed by M. Sassonoff, the Russian foreign secretary, that “Russia intends permanently to occupy Constantinople.” It is reported that these apparently conjunctive statements have so alarmed the Ottoman government as to cause the crown jewels and official records to be sent from Constantinople to the interior for safe keeping. A dispatch three days later says: “There is a panic in Constantinople, and many inhabitants are leaving. Internal troubles are imminent. The cabinet has decided to transfer the seat of government to Brusa, in Asia Minor.” Paris intelligence of February 27 repeats the assertion of an Athens correspondent that the sultan of Turkey is preparing to leave Constantinople, and that to this end imperial trains are held in the railroad station, constantly under steam. From the same source it is learned that the inhabitants of the Princes Islands, in the Sea of Marmora, adjacent to Constantinople, have been instructed to hold themselves in readiness to leave. This looks as though the final evacuation of Constantinople by the Turks were within a brief period of consummation. But in addition to this, and as though to remove the last doubt of such an accomplishment, the news dispatches declare that a large allied fleet of British and French warships under positive orders to “take Constantinople,” have already destroyed the outer forts intended to guard the approaches to that city, and having swept the straits of mines, are reducing the line of forts which form the inner circle of fortifications. In the meantime Germany has declared the entire coast of Great Britain a war zone, and has planted mines by which to blow up and destroy any ship approaching its shores with food supplies. In retaliation, England has declared all cargoes bound for Germany as contraband, and will seize all vessels steering that way, regardless of the neutral flag they may carry at the masthead. This means that both belligerents in the strife are not only desirous of killing all they can with shot and shell, on the battle field, but are determined to add a campaign of starvation which will bring to a horrible death innocent women and children in their home lands. With the supply bases crippled, and every available man of proper age called to the war trenches, the frenzy of desperation must surely inflame the animosity of the antagonists. One correspondent, in viewing the situation, closed his remarks with these significant words: “We must prepare our minds for an appalling butchery.” One may well inquire what such unheard of warfare means. The question has been repeated many times within recent months, but without receiving a satisfactory answer except when given from an inspired prophetic standpoint. Since the days of Peter the Great, Russia has looked with longing eyes toward Constantinople, desiring to make it the southern capital of that empire. She has from time to time fought her way toward that strategical point, and annexed much intervening territory. As late as 1877 she declared war against Turkey, and forged her way to the local mountains just north and west of the coveted prize, from which point she could look down upon her intended victim. Then, lo, the Western powers, notably England, forbade a further advance. Now, according to the dispatches, England is not only willing for Russia to put her hand on Constantinople, but in conjunction with France, she sends a strong fleet to hasten that event. —If it be true, as some able expositors of prophecy affirm, that the prediction of Dan. 11:45 to 12:2 looks to the Turk's being driven out of Europe and into Asia; and that he will “plant the tabernacles of his palace” “in the glorious holy mountain”; and that, in connection with such evacuation, there will “be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation”; and that these two events will usher in the standing up of Michael—Christ—to redeem all whose names are in the book of life,— then we may well believe that the age of carnal strife must soon give way to the mild reign of Jesus Christ. Let us pray that it may be so indeed. His coming is even at the doors.