Lord Salisbury, on Monday, made an elaborate statement as to
the progress achieved in executing the Treaty of Berlin. He stated that Bulgaria had been constituted; that a commence- ment had been made towards razing her fortifications ; that a Governor-General and a Constitution had been found for Eastern Roumelia ; that the Cretan Constitution, which is to be extended to other provinces, has been revised; that the pro- visions for the benefit of Greece are "in process of execu: ton," the French Government having made a proposal for mediation ; that the boundaries of Roumania, Servia, and Montenegro are nearly settled ; that delimitation in Armenia between Turkey and Russia has commenced; and that though there have been no reforms in Armenia, the difficulty has been owing to want of money. "Nothing costa money like administrative reform." There have been only two subjects of dispute, one being the delimitation of the Balkans,
which is now settled on the principle that the Turks, when the delimitation is finished, are to have the tops of the hills along the watershed—a perfect place, for the Turks are teetotallers, and will have nothing to drink—and the other the time for the evacuation of Bulgaria, North and South. Lord Salisbury stated that he read Article 22 of the Treaty to mean that. Russia should depart, not within the nine months ending May 3rd, but within nine months and three months more, ending on August 3rd. The only defect in this speech is that it does riot correspond with the facts. Greece has obtained nothing; the Cretan Constitution has not been applied elsewhere ; Armenia has been sacked, instead of being reformed; the delimitation difficulties in the Balkans are imaginary, and intended to cover a Turkish retreat; and the date now fixed for the evacuation is a new one, though, of coarse, there may have been a secret understanding at Berlin. The Peers received the statement in total silence.
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