Turkey by W. N. G.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 17, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 11.

Turkey

By W. N. G.

Turkey.—For more than half a century the Government of Turkey has been styled “the sick man,” “the pauper kingdom,” etc., yet there is hardly a government in the world that holds to her positions more persistently than this same proverbial invalid. It is a standing illustration of the fact that it is sometimes convenient to be poor. For this reason Turkey owes so much to the capitalists of some other nations, that those nations can not afford to permit her overthrow, or even her serious damage. In almost any emergency she has interested friends enough to protect her autonomy against any single enemy that may threaten her existence as a nation.

Even the United States has found Turkey about the hardest nation to bring to any kind of terms that she has had to deal with. During the last administration Minister Terrell was severely censured by the opposing party, and by religious enthusiasts of both parties, for not accomplishing more in the way of securing indemnity for the destruction of American property in connection with the Armenian massacres. When the present administration came into power, Dr. J. B. Angell, president of Michigan University, was sent to Turkey. It was confidently expected that his friendship for missions would soon bring “the sick man” to a settlement of the claim of $100,000. But it is now asserted by Dr. Angell’s friends that he is about to resign his position because he is unable to accomplish anything. The Christian Work, a staunch friend of Dr. Angell, admits his failure, and gives as a reason that President McKinley will not press the matter on account of Turkey’s poverty.

That journal also admits having “spoken somewhat severely” of the former minister, and now takes occasion to do him the justice of saying that he did succeed in securing the release of two American prisoners at Iskanderun, Northern Syria. The fact that even that much of a concession could be forced from the sultan is deemed worthy of special mention, in view of the fact that the present Minister, with all of his supposed prestige, is unable to secure even that which has been formally conceded. About the worst country in the world for any single nation to go to war with to-day is Turkey, because there are so many nations interested in the disposal of her resources. The United States could far better afford to pay that $100,000 to the injured parties out of the treasury than to undertake to compel its payment by the Turkish Government. W. N. G.