It is announced, in a Renter's telegram of October 24th,
that the Sultan has signed the scheme of reform for Asia Minor pro- posed by Lord Salisbury. Under this scheme, " Europeans " may be appointed inspectors of finance, of the tribunals, and of the gendarmerie. We have discussed this reform elsewhere, but may add here that the change of the word 66Englishmen " into " Europeans " of itself nullifies the whole scheme. The Porte can find " Europeans " enough to obey it like its own Pashas, and moreover, the Greeks of Constantinople and all Mussulmans north of the Sea of Marmora are Europeans. The sovereign- rights of the Sultan are strictly guarded, and the Foreign Office will have no more control over the European inspectors than the Government of India had over Runjeet Singh's Italian generals and administrators. The scheme has, in fact, dwindled down
from a plan for the reform of Turkey to a plan for investing Consuls with certain powers of making reports direct to Con- stantinople. Not being supported by troops or men-of-war, it will be quite illusory within six months of its signature.
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