The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-08-20
THE NEwsPAPBRs or TURKEY.
Interesting to Read About, But Dull and
Unsatfsfactory in Themseiy


The Chicago Fair Illustrated is a purely
Turkish ENTERPRISE. and its first issue
bears the date of June ist From Au-
gust 1st it will appear every week, and
between now and that date another num-
Der will leave the presses. The language
II Is printed I'm Is Turkish, and the type
Is Turkish Imported by the EDITOR. and
Il is read and bought by the Turks In
Chicago and I'm Turkey at the rate OF
25 cents a copy. Its publication Is to
continue until the end OF the Fair, and
It contains the fullest and farest inf0r-
nation about everything relating 70 our
great Exposition.
The name OF the editor OF this publ
cation is Mohammed Ubeyd Allah. which
means Mohammed the servant Of God.
lie Is a highly educated and very inter
esting gentleman. In Constantinople he
was the official editor and translator OF
educational works at the Ottoman Unit
versity OF Public Instruction Besides
that ne was the editor OF the Truth.
The circulation OF this daily paper, II
Is true, is but 1900 but for all that It
is the most influential and largest OF the
purely Turkish papers In Constantinople.
a fact which shows that the truth goes
n good ways even In Turkey. He also
in Constantinopie whose title IS the occi-
dent, and whose forty pages are filed
with choice scientific and literary mat
ter In Turkish its name Is khawer,
and between 1900 and 1000 copies Of II
are sold right along.
Il is not fun being journalist In Tur-
key. There appear at the Turkish capital
city no less than four Turkish dailies,
two printed in Greek, four In French,
and two in French and English. or
these the Levant Herald. a French-Eng-
Iish publication. has the largest circula-
ton, but even that Is ridiculously small,
when measured by the American stand
ard for a city Of over a million OF popu-
iation, and ali the dailies together ia
Constantinople do not have the aggrc-
gate circulation that the leading journal
OF a city like Dubuque or Springfield can
boast OF. The reasons for this are mani
fold. First Of all, there is no liberty OF
the press there. Again, the Turk ana the
other nationalities that inhabit Turkey
such as the Leyantine Greeks, the Ar
menians, the Syrians, etc.-do not care
for news Another thing. comparatively
few read huently enough 20 make the
reading OF a newspaper pleasure and
a relaxation to them And lastly the
professional newspaper man. the Journal
ist is despised ard mated allke by the
government and the people-by the FOR
mer because he IL looked upon as a pub
lie enemy OF order and that somnolent
ouietude which is the ideal OF the Tur-
kish government. and by the latter be-
cause his occupation is looked upon as
a useless enc, worse than useless.
The consequence OF all this Is that there
are very few journalists In Turkey. Al
though they are well paid for their ar
ticles. and although their duties are not
nearly so aiduous and grading as those
OF the American journalist, few OF the
highly educated mea Of TLrky care TO
engaged In a profession which is fraught
with constant danger and which carries
with IL a certain amount OF popular
odium. A Turkish newspaper man. IN
fact. is a martyr. a man who iaoors
for the enlightenment OF his nation under
the most discouraging difficulties, and
| his fact deserves TO be 81 eciaiy pointed
out. since the few pioneers In the Jour
| naiistic field there-among whtm Monsm'
med They'd Allah occupies conspico.
Gus placement all the more praise Tor
,heir unsslnsh s1crtA 70 what IN sxtsn'