The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-11-27
TURKISH CUSTOMS
Crude Arrangements in
Civic Matters.
Government Oppression of Arme-
nianS-No Protection to Life
or Property.

NJ MiuEdu mas just arrived from COD-
stantinopie. of which city he is a native.
aud is at the Lick. He has been in the
United States for five years. and spent six
months this summer in revisltiEg his for
mer home.
ut is difficult for an American to I'M
derstand the crudeness of the Turkish
civic and national regulations" said Mr..
Mihran. "The Fire Department, for in
stance, is the most unique on record.
There is high tower in which a watch
man is stationed. When he sees fire he
signals to the palace. and another watch
man waits upon the Sultan TO ask his per-
mission to fire cannons, which serve the
purpose of firebells.
Il remember an occasion when the Sultan
being occupied his permission to fire the
cannOns could not be obtained for some
hours. Before the warning had been
given the fire had burned itself out. The
average intervals between the signals and
alarm is two hours. When the cannon is
heard the members Of the Government fire
department carry a small e-engine on
their shoulders. 1t is simply a water
pump IN small box. Arriving at the
scene OF the conflagration the firemen go
to the adjacent houses if they have wells
and ask for water, their being no pipe
system.
"The result of all this is that from time
to time ConstantinOple is visited by very
disastrous fires. A year ago 500 houses
were burned in a day. Two years ago 500
buildings were destroyed aud three years
ago the flames wiped out 800 dwellings. All
hres are epOchs in ConstantinOple and serve
TO mark other events OF general interest.
The result, however, is that the character
of the buildings has improved, no new
houses being permitted of material other
than brick or stone.
The present Sultan is the shrewdest
and most diplomatic sovereign that Turkey
has ever had. In critical periods he shows
great lnesse, but he is badly advised, and
the results a system of oppression and the
preparation of iegaliZed atrocities worse
than Russia has seen for centuries. The
Armenians, who constitute the bulk of the
population. are the worst treated They
are distinct from the Turks, who were
originally Arabs or Saraeens, and are by
them cordially hated because the Armen-
ians conduct the business, manufactures
and the farming.
No letter is delivered TO an Armenl ian
until 1t has been opened and its contents
Inspected by Government officials ap-
pointed for that purpose, and every letter
deposited IN the mails is similarly perused
before 1t leaves the PoStoffice. In the
Sultan's groundless fear of nihilism most
absurd constructions are often made of
the contents of letters. A lady in Lond on
wrote to the head of an orphan asylum,
stating that she had raised money for the
endowment of some work In connection
with the institution. The superintendent
If the asylum was arrested for treason on
the ground that the funds were really to
be used In starting revolution.
"a recently formed Armenian benevo-
lent society was prohibited by the Govern
ment because the officials said il was mere
ly preteXt 10 start rebellion. No meet
ings of any kind are allowed among the
ArmenianS, not even dinner party or a
ball, for the same reason. If two or tn rec
merchants stood talking together on
street corner more than few min utes
the police order them to move on. If they
are again noticed in discussion all are ar
rested. Arrests are made as secretly as
possible, and the police pretend ignorance
OF the prisoners wherea bouts, OF pc rm it.
ting his friends to communicate with him
before his trial, which is often an utter
farce.
The Turks are Mohammedans. while
the religion of the Armenians is something
like the EpiscOpalans. All matters per-
tanning to religion are under the contr oil of
the Sheik III Islam. which means the
Head of the Faith. This official has abso-
lutte power of life and death in religious
matters. and can lmpriSon or fine an Of
fender. A minister who prayed for the
coming of Gods kingdom was arrested
lOr treason ana sentenced TO q term in
prison, the Sheik remarking that the Sui
tan's Government is good enough for any,
body
"All that the Armenians ask is that the
Government shall formulate laws for the
protection Of their life and property. As
matters now are they have no safety in
either. Their lands may be confscated
npon the slightest pretext, and the agricul-
turai classes are kept as poor as possible
to crush their spirit by heavy taxes. In
disclaiming any idea Of plotting against the
Sultan, they said: we are looking for
crumbs of bread. How can we get powder
and shot?
Part of the Government policy is to
discourage travel. A man cannot 90 from
town to another without a passport for
which he must pay So 30. Even at that
price it is hard to procure. Fourteen days
must eapse between an application for a
passport and its issuance. and the appli-
cant must give bonds that he will violate
no law in moving. / haG great difficulty in
getting passport to return to this coun-
try. The Turkish officials hate the United
States because of its freedom, which thew
think makes the Armenians disconnected.
l could only get out of the country,
although only a visitor, by getting my
passport TO France and after reaching
Paris, taking fresh tack for New York"