Last Saturday Hakki Pasha, the Turkish Grand Vizier, made his
long-expected statement on the policy of the Turkish Cabinet. He said—we take the facts from the Times—that the insurrection in Albania, which had been neither reactionary nor separatist, was now ended. He attributed it to the influence of self-seeking chiefs. Only thirteen Albanians had been executed for political offences. In Rumelia the disarmament of the people was being resisted, but the Govern- ment was determined to crush all opposition. As regards finance, the minimum of expenditure had uow been reached; neither the amounts voted for the Army nor those for the service of the Public Debt could be reduced. The rejection of the French loan had not affected the friendly relations of the two countries. If it had been likely to do so, the French terms would probably have been accepted. Nor had the long- standing friendliness of Turkey with England suffered. As for general foreign policy, the Government wished to be on the best terms with all the European Powers without leaning on any one of the great Alliances. The rumours of the con- clusion of an Alliance with Rumania were false. Both Powers were so much interested in the maintenance of the status quo in the Balkans that they could well dispense with any formal Agreement.
