This took place at the same time as the Berlin Congress; it was simply
between Turkey and England.
Article I. "If Batoum, Ardahan, Kars, or any of them shall be
retained by Russia, and if any attempt shall be made at any future
time by Russia to take possession of any further territory of His
Imperial Majesty, the Sultan, in Asia, as fixed by the Definitive
Treaty of Peace, England engages to join His Imperial Majesty,
the Sultan, in defending them by force of arms.
"In return, His Imperial Majesty, the Sultan, promises England
to introduce necessary reforms, to be agreed upon later between
the two powers, into the government and for the protection of the
Christian and other subjects of the Porte in these territories;
and in order to enable England to make necessary provisions
for executing her engagement, His Imperial Majesty, the Sultan,
further consents to assign the Island of Cyprus to be occupied
and administered by England.
Article VII. "If Russia restores to Turkey Kars and the other
conquests made by her in Armenia during the last war, the Island
of Cyprus will be evacuated by England, and the convention of
the 4th of June, 1878, will be at an end."
When England was preparing this private treaty, the English
fleet was on the Sea of Marmora, at the gate of the Bosphorus,
threatening Russia, to make her withdraw her soldiers from the
gates of Constantinople, for the conquering Russian army had reached
the suburbs, and encamped at San Stefano, only eight or ten miles
away. But for England, Russia would have captured Constantinople,
and kept it. But England backed Turkey, and the other powers backed
England, and Russia reluctantly withdrew her troops. But Russia has
never forgiven England for it; and if England wishes to help the
Armenians, no matter how many are massacred, Russia will help Turkey,
while the others side with neither. As to there ever being a European
concert to reform Armenia, a pleasant dream which has deluded many
thousands, I have always laughed at it, and I laugh at it still. The
powers will never act together for any such purpose. It is not
"practical politics" to think of it. The real center of action is
not Germany or Russia, but England, for several reasons. One is that
London is the money capital of the world. Money rules; money buys
force. The richest nation is the strongest. What does Lombard street
say? is the vital question. The second is her navy, the strongest
in the world; stronger that that of any other two nations combined;
perhaps in actual fight a match for all combined. The third is that
her possessions are everywhere; she is a local power in every quarter
of the globe; she has to pass by everybody's doors in managing her
colonies. So I will begin with England.