TURKEY AND GREECE. (Hansard, 6 July 1897)

§ LORD CONNEMARA,
who rose to ask the Prime Minister whether he could, without inconvenience to the public service, give the House any information as to the negotiations which had been going on for some weeks at Constantinople, consequent upon the war between Turkey and Greece, said he was aware of the inconvenience, as a general rule, of pressing a matter in Parliament with respect to foreign affairs which was already a subject of discussion. In that particular case he thought they would agree that the proceedings at Constantinople had been unusually protracted, and that public danger might arise, both with respect to Turkey and Greece, if those proceedings were not brought to a conclusion before very long. He recollected very well that in 1878, when the noble Marquess with Lord Beaconsfield went to the great Congress at Berlin, the negotiations then took exactly one month. He did not think that any one could compare the importance of that occasion with the present, and yet the difficulties between Turkey and Greece had been under discussion for nearly seven weeks.

§ THE PRIME MINISTER
The reminiscence which my noble Friend has called up is of a very interesting character, but I think it will illustrate the difference between the state of things existing now and that which existed then. I well remember that month's negotiations at Berlin. Prince Bismarck was in the chair. I think that if he were in the chair now the result would be different. But the situation then was much more important. A very powerful Russian army was then within a stone's throw of Constantinople, and any suggestion from Prince 13ismarck that a failure of the conference might result in the movement of that army, did undoubtedly produce an effect on Turkish deliberations which we desiderate at the present moment. The delay is entirely the delay of Constantinople self. I do not presume to judge it, but there would be no delay as far as the five Powers are concerned. They are agreed. I do not know that they are disagreed upon any point. I would not aver that they are agreed absolutely upon every detail. I have not the slightest doubt that if the matter were left to them it would be 1207 settled in a very brief space of time. The delay comes from Constantinople. When my noble Friend talks about that being an unprecedented delay I think he has a little forgotten some of the teachings of experience. It is undoubtedly the fact that great deliberation and circumspection have always characterised the action of the Ottoman Government. I think they are carried to an excess at the present time. All that I am concerned to do is to show that it is not in any way chargeable to the responsibility of the five Powers. I do not in any degree deny the suggestion which underlies the observations of the noble Lord, that the delay is calculated to create great injury, and it may, though I hope there is no immediate prospect of such a result, be even attended with danger. Of course it is perfectly true that generally we deprecate discussions upon subjects of this kind which are under consideration and negotiation, and that is a sound principle from which I do not wish in any way to depart. But still it is evident that for some reason or other the Ambassadors are working as it were, under a glass hive, and it would be idle to deny the accuracy of the sketches of the negotiations which the noble Lord has laid before the House. The great questions are those of frontier, indemnity, and the capitulations. I do not know that we have on any one of these three questions the definitive opinion of the Turkish. Government. We have the opinions of the five Powers, and they are, I think, in absolute consonance. We are not at present any nearer a solution. Whether we shall get nearer a solution belongs rather to the domain of prophecy than political speculation; but I would only recommend my noble Friend to consider in what respects the situation in 1878 differed from the situation in 1897, and add that in proportion as the situation in 1897 can be made more analogous to that of 1878, in that proportion we increase our hopes of an early and satisfactory settlement. ["Hear, hear!"]

THE EARL OF KIMBERLEY
I so entirely concur with the noble Marquess that it is not desirable while these difficult negotiations are proceeding to have a discussion upon them if it can be avoided, that he may be sure I shall make very few remarks indeed, and 1208 those not of a kind to embarrass the Government. I cannot say that the situation is a satisfactory one. It is satisfactory, no doubt, on one point, and I was glad to hear that the Powers are practically agreed. That every one must admit, is a very great point gained. ["Hear, hear!"] The noble Marquess has in very cautious and appropriate language merely indicated what is the actual difficulty of the situation when he said that in proportion as the situation became more in accordance with that which existed at the time of the Berlin Conference, so the expectation of a speedy solution would be increased. I would venture to put that in language not quite so diplomatic, but I will say that to my mind the solution depends on this—whether the Powers, having formed their opinion as to what ought to be done, having agreed on that opinion, will at the proper time—and I hope the time may not be far distant—["hear, hear!"]—being agreed, apply that amount of pressure to the Porte which will put an end to those obstructions which, as the noble Marquess has well said, no one knows so well as the Porte how to apply. There appears this morning a statement in the newspapers—I saw it in The Times newspaper—that a telegram has been dispatched to Lord Salisbury by refugees from Candia representing the mercantile and other classes of that town, and complaining in general terms that the state of affairs at Candia is unsatisfactory, and that the British forces there are not able to secure order and the protection of the inhabitants. I simply wish to ask the noble Marquess whether he has received any such telegram.

§ THE PRIME MINISTER
No, no such telegram has yet reached me. Therefore it would be premature for me to express an opinion upon it. ["Hear, hear!"] At the same time I am bound to express my sympathy with the position of the inhabitants of Crete of both creeds, who, in consequence of diplomatic difficulties, for which the Powers are not responsible, are suffering from a condition of things almost approaching to anarchy, for which they deserve our greatest sympathy. ["Hear, hear!"]