The news from Turkey is both g ood and bad. There
seems to be no doubt that there is a good deal of local anarchy in the outlying parts of the Empire. For example, we read of the steamers on the Tigris being under fire for many hours, and of sporadic lawless movements in many other places. Again, great excite- ment has been caused in Constantinople by the aseassina- tion at midnight on Tuesday on the Galata Bridge of the editor of the Serbeeti newspaper. The murderer has not been caught, but is said to have worn the uniform of an officer of infantry. The Serbesti has for some time vigorously criticised the Committee of Union and Progress, and recently obtained and published the secret circular issued by that organisation in which certain accusations were brought against M. Constans. These facts have perhaps not unnaturally led to assertions that the crime was an act of vengeance on the part of the Committee. As, however, the Times corress pondent at Constantinople points out, no evidence has been adduced in support of the charge, and it is impossible to believe that the very able leaders of the Committee, putting aside the fact that they are men of honour and good character5 would have been so idiotic as to have committed so grave a political blunder. It seems far more likely that the editor, who was an Albanian, was murdered by some one who indulged a personal grudge against him, for his paper hit right and left.
