Mr. Bryce, speaking to his constituents at Aberdeen or. Monday,
put the case of those who contend that this country could have interfered single - handed on behalf of the Armenians in a very clear light. He believed, on informa- tion which he had gathered on the spot, that if Great Britain had in 1895 sent her magnificent fleet to Constanti- nople, the Sultan would have yielded ; and the Continent divided, jealous, and unready, would, even if angry, have shrunk from declaring war. That was, he thought, the course the Government should have pursued, because in 187E we had assumed the duty of protecting the Armenians, whicl up to that date had belonged to Russia, and he could not say, therefore, that he thought Lord Salisbury's diplomacy successful. We have said nearly the same thing many times, but always with a reserve, which we think Mr. Bryce might in fairness have made also. Would he, if he had grave reason to believe that united Europe would interfere, have given the orders to the fleet? Lord Salisbury, who is responsible for her Majesty's Government, and Lord Rosebery, who was the head of the Opposition, both state distinctly that they had such reason, and who can say that they were misinformed ? We are bound to defend the Armenians at any cost save that of bringing on results worse than the destruction of that race, which, moreover, in the event supposed, would have been completed. There have been Premiers who would have run the risk, but no statesman will say that it would have been a justifiable one to run.
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