CONSULAR EXPERIENCES IN TURKEY. 
441 
Reforms. 
The line which reforms should take is pretty clearly indicated by the 
nature of the evils. 
Firstly .—Regular payment of officials and troops. At first it is 
doubtful of the existing revenues would suffice for this and a loan 
might be necessary, but if tranquility and honesty were really estab¬ 
lished the wealth of the country would assuredly increase rapidly, so 
that revenue and expenditure could be balanced. 
Secondly .—A better system of appointing officials and more security 
of tenure of appointments. 
Thirdly .—Adequate security for justice to Christians. It must be 
confessed that this is a very difficult condition to secure. 
A re-organization of and admission of Christians to the gendarmerie 
would be a salutary measure. Also the appointment of Christian 
assistants to the governors and it would no doubt be a most desirable 
thing if the peoples in the Turkish Empire could work out their own 
amelioration without interference from outside. And this might pos¬ 
sibly be done if it could be assured that the Central Government would 
give them fair play and really seek reform without arriere pensee. But 
I confess I am very sceptical as to the realization of this condition and 
I very much fear that the appointment of native Christians as assistant 
governors will not produce the salutary effects hoped from the measure. 
There was a Christian Mouavin at Van when I was there, but he was 
powerless, and I think that in most cases it will be found that they will 
be unable to produce much good effect, for they will be entirely sub¬ 
ordinate to the superior Moslem authorities and will be able to exert 
but little influence. There will be moreover the difficulty of ensuring 
the appointment of men of sufficient character to resist the evil influences 
and temptations with which they will be surrounded. 
On the whole I am not very sanguine about any real amelioration of 
the existing state of things, without European supervision on the spot, 
for a time at all events. 
I will only say, in conclusion, that the country is a magnificent one, 
in climate, soil, and scenery and deeply interesting in its history and 
its remains. Its inhabitants also, in spite of many faults, aroused my 
sympathy and I may say my affection. I include those of all races— 
Armenians, Turks, Nestorians and Kurds—and I can only hope and 
pray that a future may be reached for it as prosperous and happy as 
there is full scope for in its natural capabilities and situation. 
DISCUSSION. 
The Chairman —General Maurice, ladies and gentlemen, before asking you 
to return thanks to Colonel Clayton for his very interesting lecture, I should 
wish to say a few words with regard to the country, though I have no personal 
knowledge of it. My experience relates to the western districts. 
The country described by Colonel Clayton is really a continuation of the great 
Persian plateau which extends, at a lower level, to the shores of the iEgean Sea. 
The rise to the higher plateau is marked by the hills to the east of Sivas, which 
