The strength of German influence at Constantinople has been illustrated
by the progress of the negotiations between France and Turkey in regard to the Syrian railways. The Sultan was prepared to satisfy French claims, and in addition to expend £460,000 on military equipment in France; but M. Constans insisted that £1,200,000, or a third part of the value of Turkey's new armament, should be expended in French factories, and, as no answer was returned, broke off the negotiations and intimated that the Paris market was closed to any fresh issue of a Turkish loan. The Ottoman Bank having withdrawn its proposals for the projected loan and refused any advance, it was announced that the Deutsche Bank had come to the rescue, and, as the result of " the extraordinary pressure exercised by the German Embassy," that the entire order for the guns had been placed with the Krupp factory. Reuter's agent, however, telegraphing on Wednesday, announced that a modus vivendi had been arrived at on the basis that the order for the guns will be shared between France and Germany. The Germans are to find money to pay Messrs. Krupp not only for the new guns, but also the arrears due to them on account of the armaments with which they have already provided Turkey. On the other hand, part of the loan which is to be contracted with the Ottoman Bank will be devoted to purchasing the remainder of the guns in France. We are heartily glad that England has taken no hand in this not very dignified game of simul- taneously bolstering up and squeezing the Sick Man.
Previous page
