14 SEPTEMBER 1901, Page 2

The quarrel between France and Turkey linger s , b u t emu no

better. The Sultan is endeavoering to settle matterir the claimants behind the back of France, but has '- informed by M. Delcasse that this will not do, and that French Government is protesting he must satisfy the heti; Government. It is said that the Sultan is becoming 4 sessed with the Pan-Islamic idea, which has always na ?freight with him, and believes that he could stir up the Arabi in Algeria, the Dervishes in the Hinterland of Tunis, el. Messulmans in India, the Afghans, and even the maho- medans-in Western -China. He has no doubt in all th: places a certain authority, but he is not the man to preach Jelled, and he will speedily -find that wars of religion are of date. It would take an Arab Khalif reigning in Mecca t4 _ rouse the whole Mussulmen world to a most dangerous exploit. The chasm between Turk and Arab is unfathomable, and as regards India we may judge by a single fact. le 1855-56 we spent fifty millions and nearly fifty thousand lire in defending the throne of the Turkish Sultan. In 1857 the Mussulmans of Northern India sprang at our throats and proclaimed the house of Timour. There may nevertheless be trouble with Abd-ul-Hamid. When the nerves of a man of that type are strained beyond a certain point, he often does something desperate.