The Daily News, and, with more caution, the Daily Chronicle,
both believe that a plan is afoot for remedying the disorder in Turkey by appointing Earopean Ministers to work under the Sultan. The Finance Minister would be an Englishman, the War Minister a Russian, the Minister of the Interior a French- man, and so on, and all would work through the native machinery as we do in Egypt. The lever by which the Sultan is to be coerced into adopting this scheme would be his financial necessities, which will only be relieved on condition of his acceptance of the plan. We do not believe that such a scheme has been proposed, or that it would work for a week. Practically, the Empire would be administered by a Council of twelve—six Ministers and six Ambassadors—and they would quarrel all day, and be sleepless with suspicion of each other all night ; while every native official would do his best to thwart them, and the Sultan would override them by issuing orders not as Sultan but as Khalif. It would be far easier for the Powers to nominate a Grand Vizier, and insist on the Sultan giving him a free hand If a European can occupy the post there is Baron Kallay, who has been for fifteen years the wise despot of Bosnia, and if he cannot, there are one or two Turks who could be trusted to try their best. We do not ourselves believe, however, that the Sultan means to yield at all. He will never surrender his power of drawing at will on the Treasury, or of executing those he hates or fears. Note that there is an idea getting afloat in Constantinople, and perhaps not unknown in the Chancelleries, of deposing him under a medical certificate. That gets rid of the personal reluctance of the Sovereigns to make a Sovereign responsible.
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