In the House of Lords on Wednesday, during a debate
raised by Lord Lamington on the alleged atrocities by the Balkan Allies, Lord Cromer made an interesting speech on the great loss which not only the people of Turkey, but all those interested in the affairs of Turkey had sustained by the death of the late Nazim Pasha. Nazim, he declared, was an earnest and sincere Liberal, and the strength and sincerity of his con- victions were proved not only by the fact that he was condemned to exile by the late Sultan but by his endurance of close confinement for a great many years. Apart from his political opinions he was a thoroughly honest man, with the courage of his convictions. "What the East requires more than anything else just now is honest men who have the courage of their convictions." We wish we had time to quote the whole of Lord Cromer's moving tribute to the dead man. Everyone will agree with his hope that "after this unfor- tunate war is over the Ottoman Turks will take in hand the reform and regeneration of the Asiatic provinces which still remain to them." We are convinced that Lord Cromer did a good and useful work by his speech, and that it needed no apology on the ground of irrelevance. The Turks cannot expect to escape criticism for their misdeeds, but while censuring the evildoers we must not forget those who stand, as Nazim did, for the right. His brutal murder was one of the most unfortunate as well as one of the most tragic of recent events in the Near East.
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