As Turkey has refused the request of Greece to appoint
Com- missioners to rectify the Greek frontier in the manner suggested by the Congress of Berlin, France has appealed to the 24th article of the Berlin Treaty, and asked European intervention to press upon Turkey the wish of the Powers that she should acquiesce. M. Wad- dington's circular, inviting the Six Powers to concur in representa- tions to Turkey to this effect, is very smooth, and carefully avoids any injury to Turkish feelings. The Sultan is to "sacrifice nothing irreconcilable with his interests." Europe only expects from him " an opportune concession to political and moral neces- sities," which are "intimately bound up with the tranquillity of the East." All that is very proper and nicely worded, but it will not deceive the Sultan. He knows very well that he is being asked to transfer a province from his own Government to that of Greece, partly as a bribe to Greece to keep quiet, and partly because the less Turkey has, and the more Greece has, the better Europe is pleased. Both reasons may be good, but then they are good for so much more than this particular transfer. They will, like all sound currency, hold good for any number of future transfers of the same kind.
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