With her troops
scattered, and uneasy nations on her borders, Turkey is much less
dangerous.
The Bulgarian matter had hardly been settled when Austria discovered a
new means of checking Turkey.
The Turkish officials in Asia Minor ill-treated an Austrian subject. He
was the agent of the Austrian Lloyd's Steamship Company at Mersina, and
had been summarily expelled from the city by order of the officials.
The Austrian consul at once interfered, and was grossly insulted by the
Mutessarif, who is a sort of mayor, and also by the Vali, or governor,
of Adana, in which province Mersina is situated. Adana is one of the
Turkish provinces on the Mediterranean Sea, and Mersina is one of its
chief seaport towns.
The incident being exactly what Austria had been wishing for, a great
deal was made of it. The Austrian ambassador at Constantinople sent word
that his flag had been insulted, and demanded that Turkey should
formally salute the Austrian flag, that both of the offending officials
must be immediately dismissed, and the agent given money damages.
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