New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-07
THE TURKISH CENSORSHIP.
vrxA1IOUs INTERFERENCE WITH THE
WORK OF AMERICAN MISSIONARIES.
,,,n,,, THE pprTrNCE OF GUARDING AGAINST
sEDIrIoUs UTTERANCEs THE MOST lNNo-
CENT COMMENTARIES on THE SCRIPT
uREs ARE INITIATED OR
STRICKEN OUT.

UREs ARE INITIATED OR
STRICKEN OFT.
fpY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRfBuNEI
Washington Jan 6.-There is another question:
pendtrg between the United States and turkey Una.
is Of almost as much interest to the Chrls'a" VIZ
az rho persecution of the Armenans IL mas Deeh
mo suhisct of correspondence between the Ameri-
%, Location in ronstantlnople ard the Department
Of State in Washington for several years anu AZ
yves the right Of foreigners as well as the SUI
ic,;s OF the Sublime Porte 10 the free exercise Vi
their religion. IN
The Imnerial ottoman Government guarantees re-
e;ous liberty but at the same time exercises 60.
s,~shin oyer all religious books both those WIN"
~, unfinished by tho Protestant societies WITHIN w
limits OF Turkey and those i'nportso ii 49,, q,
countries The Turkish system OF .
ox,reusiy comprehensive and sever ,,,.a, an,
orsor f., every yillayat who exercises u''ii''e GU
N0'9O' ..ad n,wsr over everything that Is printed
49,, ,,.ir,s tho RICH, 10 open and examine al pa1N
- ,eoIea mr. ursea.ed. that pass through III"
rraVs. but by law he IL required 70 stamp inc WIZ
..oxan,ined" upon any letter paper o' p"1N"so .'-
he opens lie is member 81 me h's'e'' ,o',. -
enc rrov,nce IN which he lives. and wnen the GOV
~ hsor, r,,,ns in his stead He is always
'gt1 vah.retan. and goes to his mosque h'e
,,oes on Friday which makes the pupHcd''on u
Saturday newspapers dhhcui. A
a.. tho lac, fc,y years the Missionaries or the
American Board have had great deai OF 'iouD,
,i,, ~ ccusors whose duty j. 10 examine anu
,,,ss ,,pon religious books. Some or them Aio e'
tIre.y nnacquaiutcl with the doctrines OF tne ms
' ,,hu-,h and some are unable TO underStHhu
. t,,,,o.e o. the books upon which they are ok
n.ctel 10 rcnler iJdsm 81; The result - P'.,
rl t-iai,, with things held sacred by al Ch'S'''
Tho exclamation % the Holy Scriptures !" ''''''''
t,ros ana other publications mas p',' -
Elements az Christian doctrine in books an" H1"9
... ,,,.o b.en erased and altered. and quotations.
r, ,.,..,f,r,. voris ami even from the scriptures
themselves Introduced into books ana essays 'oI
H.. ,iirpose of illustration and argument nave
t Van ont Phrases and single words nave pee"
s,,r.,r,.s.I without regard 10 their col'eN'' vi
,i ,b,, ,hey have a political significance nv
,s, M some u the ordinary scripture u''eS u 80"
c,ys,,r has actually been forbidden anu "''s"
IN. has bean made 10 the Chief censor Il"
,s ,.o,,e1 tina, since the Christians are grac'ousS
"may,.t - rs. the Holy Bible they need no o'he'
books % religion
40 TO-MORROWS IN THE BIBLE
Tho nrcsent Sultan Abdul Hamid occupies the
,hrone that was occupied by an c"ei D'o'n1''
Nur,d who was deposcd n 1916. ana Is Dele'er ~
~ imn,isoned in one Of the castles on the Dos
nhorus A large and influential party III iu'Ne'
s,,os tho right Of Abdul Hamd to the throne anu
g., .,,nnosed 10 be- only waiting for an opportunity
10 create a revolution in the interest oil MS
So great is the fear Of such an uprisis '''a' "s
ere. has been passed forbiddng Murah name ~
he e,okon within the limits of Turkey. II so nap
mons that the word 'murad' means TOMORROW
~ so,,cfhiny Ike that and was formerly used IRE
oror,Iv both in conversation and in the news
n,n.rs and books OF the country. but o"lhs u inns
decree II is now entirely obsolete ana of ldte years
has not been seen In print So strict are the IurN-
,h .reo-s that they have forbidden It's use i'll the
Iuble Therefore, wherever IN" word to-Horro"
occurs in either the Ola or the W" i "
censor strikes II out
In the commentary on the New Testament III '''c
exposition Of the words Prepare we the way VI
the Lord" Matt. Ill. -. the following passase nus
be.n ordered stricken out by Nehmi Enendi' the
chief Censor because II was believed TO nave some
hidden political significance. reference Is here
made to the sending OF men before king OF gem
oral TO remove any obstacles that may be IN the
way along which he Is to pass TO repair the r0'u'
u level ts steep places ana so 10 n,a~F fbe fol-
for the king or the army TO pass along gbnm ~
lowing reference to the words the hlhsuoth ..
10y force Matt x ~ vas stricken OK Dsdause of
referred TO nilitaTy anars. , IL, La but
no, because 1t itself IL surrounded by "al ue'
because themselves are peSet 10 S,Is ,.,
udlces So that only those who strive me eaihNst,
rich,eousness and who are ready to take up the
cross and follow Chrlst-are able to seize II OF
The censor insists that the Scriptural phrase
Kingdom OF christ may not be used; that Jesus
christ must not be referred 10 as Glng MnereVef
the word Jew" occurs Nehm Enendi strikes II
out often making nonsense OF the conteNt . pom
F ,nuulaiuf being made OF these meaningless Hutd-
tInns V.hmi Enendi informed his superiorS that
fpas. phrases were violent attacks on the JEWISH
religion
OTHER MEANINGLESS RESTRICTIONS.
The index .-t OF the international Bioie Lessons
4, smplv table OF contents prepared 10y the BRUSH
sunday -schoo. Union compressed into tne smalies'
/ pogslhe space and containing word Of comment
/ The censors refused 10 permit the pUohcatloh III
TURKEY unicrs about MY ~ he titles were erased
oil modified into form at variance win me mat
/ ter ~ the lessons expanded 10 a degree lmpos-
sh.c In brief table of contents. Inc lo'.o"lhs aIe
F typical specimens OF the requirements OF the cen
d
s. Luke. iy An. Gospel liberty The word
Romans. VII 3l-39 ''Reolcng in persecution
/ Tli. title must be- erased. ,... MI.
! Romans xV 2i-0 ~ benevolent object ms
MI. clnrot h. al.o, II 20 stand unless the object =
stated II fun stat ment ot the object i inaIe
and IN il found be cOnpatih" with the interests
I Of the ottoman Empire the title VIII pe allowed 10
/ stand with IT, explanation ~ 49,,
Tn titles OF religious books IN common use
trrouetou, Chrsreniom are often prohlDited ana ana
/ often modified 10 suit Mahomesan IDEAS, lor .N-
b annie Professor Drummont's The Greatest IhlhE
IN he word" and Montforts the Divine Name.
''rhr Law Stil BINDING" etc, were suppressed anu
! their US prohibited.