25 MAY 1901, Page 1

There has been a muddle at Constantinople which might have

become most menacing. The Sultan's fears of revolt have recently been accentuated by information, true or false, f as to the designs of the Young Turkish party. He fancied that they communicated with each other through the foreign mail - bags, which are not under the Turkish post, and accordingly, in Turkish fashion, ordered them all to be seized. The Ambassadors, of course, remonstrated indignantly, and finding their protests disregarded, arranged, it is said, for a demonstration of warships in the Sea of Marmora, The German Emperor thereupon inter- fered, and, as a devoted friend of the Sultan, advised his Majesty to yield and apologise, which was accordingly done, to the relief of Europe, but to the disgust of the Young Turks, who are flying in every direction from Constantinople. It is impossible to obtain the exact truth as to anything that happens in Turkey, hut we fancy from all the accounts that this time the Sultan had reason for his fears, that some officers of the Army had been won over, and that a serious plot was hatching.