New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-10-10
ALBANIA AND THE PORTE.

RELIGIOUS FAITH-PKREDloUs TURKISH DlPLo-
MACY-THE INsUREEC Ion FARCE.
To me EditOr Of The Trt6Hhc'
S,n: The Turkish atlas thar is used in the high
est schools # Cousiantnoplc shows on the eastern
coast of the Adriatic Sea. an irregular tract OF
country which il names the Aruaouiink. Arhaou'-
LUX is n noun Of place derived under regular gram
maiical rules from the word Arnaoui-an Albanian
Tbc name of this district attracts attention, be-
cause it is the only one IN the whole atlas 'hat Is
formed under this grammatical rule. 1t signifies
" the place of the Albanians," or even inc piaco
where they keep Albanians.'
THIS contemptuous way of naming that part of Tur-
kew. lust now before the eycso Europe. illustrates
rhc estimation in which Albanians are held among
the mass of the people of Turkey The AiDanlans
are known to the Turks to be a people without indi
yidualiy and for this reason difficult to class as
nationality They are divided INTO clans, Duch as
the Scotch Highlanders usel 10 be. IndiVluuaiS
among them surrender thor private judgment 10
the control of their cheftains. n few men mus
conlrol a race. whose members are in their hands
little more than cFaGteis. tor Albanans 70 possess
a feeling like public spirit is Impossible since
at any moment they liable to be ordered TO sup
port this or that private OF the chef OF tnc
elan, and a whole clan Will clahgc iroht III "
tyymkIing in obedience to the order
As to personal characteristics, the AbanlAns are
Ignorant and exhibit all the Brutality That belongs
TO Ignorance. They have no books, no schools OF
tber own-not even an alphabol IN winch their
language can be written. They have good deal
of native wit, and they are sill sOns;lnes to be
trusty friends But their surrender OF conscience to
their chiefs makes them, as class. treicheTOuS rs
no other race IN European Turkey Is tredcherons.
They follow with pcrtnacty the Law of retaliation
for ininrcs and bloody fcuds between their
families continue through generation after
generation The AlbanIans are skilled rob
bers. Their history is history OF blood
shed for money. One Of their proverbs saws: " My
purse is my sou-may it be fat" The chieis OF tue
clans use their forces for money-goting They VIII
be AZ peace If paid for it, but war commonly pays
better The reckless readiness with arms
shown by tn Albanians has always made them
valued auxIlaries to the Turks. Perhaps TINS ex-
plains why the Turks have never meddled with
their peculiar institutions. Daring the Greek rcvo-
lution in 1924 the Turks employed great numbers
of Albauans Yet the habits of these people were
cause of fhe success of the Greeks. The Albanians
deliberately avoided decisive successes as at Misso-
longhl. They prolonged the war because the work
pleased them, and did the pay. In tho end large
CORDS of Albanians after having nvelgled the Turks
into giving them three mopthS pay III
advance, retired from the held TO en-
low tho fruits of glory. summons
to the army of Mchlned ALI Pacha from Egypt but
partially rescued the Sultan from the embarrass-
ment caused by this desrrtion.
The relations of the Turkish Government to the
Abanians have always been peculiar. The TURKS
have ALWAYS exercised supremacy over the Albln-
ians, but they have never in.erfered with their
clan organization. Tney have preferred to deal
IL. Al Al tftp n,4p-
pie They have managed, Gather than ruled, the
Abaniaus. To the chefs tney have gwen Offices
and annulties; and in returl they have been al
lowed TO tax the people Every few years some
clan has made Instruction, bur ludcipus cOmDl-
nation of money with cold steel has always calmed
the eiIervesence without leaving ranking nate
on either side. Doubtless the Albianans have
an affection for their native mountains. Yet, since
their affections centre upon the personal property OF
other dwellers in their riders rather than upon the
soil of their homes, the Turkish Government has
never until now made much account OF Albania as
a definite territorial dIvision. The region mas not
been regarded rs belonging TO the people, but the
people as an accident Ot the reIlon SO the atlas
published for the Government schools OF CONSTANT
nope speaks of the district as " the place OF the Al
bamans"
NONDEsCRIPr RELIGION.
Nahomeians Other clans are Roman Catholics
and vet Others belong to the Greek Church Iheir
religious views are another cause of the contempt
felt for them by the Turks as "A na.ion. The most
of the leading men and many of the common
people among Mahometan Albanians, are mem
hers of the order Of Bck ASH dervishes. These
Bektashs make a secret of their peculiar variation
on the Mahomean religious belief. To pro-
tect their secrets thew have signs and passwords.
They might be called the Pcrfectionlsts OF tue Mos
lens They believe that Ali, the son-in-law of Ma
homet was God incarnate, and that lie performed
a mediatoral office for all Mahometans. he per
formed merItorious works. and uttered PRAYERS vi
carionsly for his followers. so thar no Mosem need
make prayers or do good deeds with the object OF
winning favor with G d. The B.ktlshi statement
of the case -. Oar prayers have been said" (by
Ain. Whoever has faith to believe that he has
permanently been introduced by ALI to the favor of
God may act as he plcascs without sense of sin.
The Bektashis divide mankind INTO two classes ::
raw sons Those who are still in bondage 10
ceremonial Obscryanccs; and cooked souls u
those fully ripened characters who ENJOY the free
dom which arises from the knowledge that 1t IS I'M
possible to offend God These tenets, more or less
clearly understood by the outside world. have won
for the Bektlshi dcrylsnes the title OF hcretlc
among Mosiems, and the name OF free thinker
among foreigners resident i. Turkey.
As have SAID. the AblnianS are extensively con-
necfed with this order of drrvsbcs The lo0Senrss
of the Rektashi PRINCIPLES agree with the tastes OF
the Albanians White the nominal MahOmetansm
of the system secures to them all the advantages
which subjects of the Sultan gam by
adherence TO the religion Of the State.
The Albanians are fanaiIcal Mahometans, full OF
threatening, to all inidels, whenever the oppres-
- ,tT l,rt-t ~
in question. When the spelling of Christian vii
la.cs IS not before them. they have further i'm
mediate Tor fanaticsm. Hence, IN Their relations
with tie Turks. they are found 10 be very lax Ma
hOmetans indeed. iheY are careless of the spirit
ual supremacy of the Sultan Caliph, aud they are
even ready when occasion offers, 10 20 to church
and worship the same saints adOred by the
Christians about them. Notwithstanding this lax
inv ue of fine Albaullus A., IN ne