Adrianople, the key to the Balkans; Salonika, key to
the AEgean; Constantinople, controlling the outlet to the Black Sea and
the crossing to Asia Minor; the land approaches of the Tigris and
Euphrates valleys--all these the Turk had, all these an alliance with
him would give Germany. The stronger the Turkish State, the better
organized, the larger its army and fleet, the greater its resources, the
more useful it would be to Germany and the more thoroughly it would
insure the success of Pan-Germanism.

[Sidenote: England and France sustain courteous hold on Constantinople.]

It had been for the interests of England and France to keep Turkey weak.
The Turk must hold Constantinople, but must not be strong enough to use
it; as a tenant, as a nominal owner, he was extremely useful; some one
had to own it; England and France could not hold it themselves; they
were determined Russia should not have it; and the Turk was a useful
_locum tenens_. They, therefore, frowned upon Turkish ambitions for
democratic government and would, undoubtedly, have sacrificed the Turk
rather than see an independent Mohammedan State take real control of
Asia Minor and Northern Africa.

[Sidenote: Pan-Germanic Confederation.]

Germany, on the contrary, wished an active agent to pursue an
aggressive policy in her favor. If the Sick Man could get out of bed
only with assistance, Germany was anxious to help him; and the Turk
vastly preferred an alliance with a Power which was eager to make him
well to one with Powers almost afraid to keep him alive. The Turks
wished a capable government, a good army, a State deserving of
independence, and were overjoyed to find Germany ready and desirous to
foster this ambition. Indeed, as a member of the Pan-Germanic
Confederation, the Turk must be strong enough to hold Constantinople and
the Bagdad Railway in the event of a general European war, without
depending upon Germany for more than assistance, supplies, and advice.
Germany and Austria, menaced on both sides at home, would not be able to
take the risks of sending troops to the Near East, and the Turk would
have to be strong enough to keep at bay such forces as it seemed likely
Russia would be able to spare from the battlefields of northern Europe.

[Sidenote: Pan-Islam.]

Germany was equally ready to have the Turk gratify his imperialist and
religious ambitions. Pan-Islam would destroy the political control of
England and France in northern Africa and i