No. 26.
Mr. Kasson
to Mr. Evarts.
Vienna, March 30, 1878. (Received April 15.)
Sir: Herewith is transmitted a map just published, which may not otherwise come to your hands, showing the new frontiers of European Turkey, and of the independent and tributary principalities carved out of it by the treaty of San Stefano.
At the foreign office yesterday I encountered the Russian and German ambassadors, the Pope’s nuncio, and others, all seriously impressed by the alarming news from England, involving the resignation of Lord Derby and the formation of an exclusively warlike cabinet at London.
There is at this hour no hope of a European Congress upon the San Stefano treaty. There is only one line of action by England which does not lead directly to war against Russia. Even this alternative indirectly leads to it, but allows the possibility of avoiding it. I said to a member of the English embassy here, last night, “I do not see exactly upon what you can base your proclamation of war against Russia. You cannot declare war simply because Russia differs from you as to the [Page 35] form of submitting questions to a European conference about her treaty with Turkey.” He replied: I presume we shall make no proclamation of war, but proceed to take possession of what we believe necessary to protect our interests.”
This conforms to my opinion that England will not rest content till she has acquired new possessions in the Levant, which will dominate the Suez Canal and the Eastern Mediterranean against all apprehended aggression by Russia coming through the Dardanelles. What England really wants is a position at the outlet of the Dardanelles (Gallipoli) if the slightest justification can be found for it, if not, something not far away.
Whether this is possible without somewhere striking the Russian interests and the Russian forces remains to be seen. Diplomatic opinion here deems it impossible. It is worthy of remark that while England holds herself justified in doing all to protect English interests, she fills Europe with an outcry if Russia dares anything for the protection of Russian interests.
I have, &c.,