Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-07
SAID PASHA'Ss CUNNING.
Why He Kept Far Away. From the
Sultan.

| When the Sultan OF Turkey was urged by
his advisers to secure Said Pasha's person
he was much impressed with the idea
| But Said Pasha was too important per-
sonage to be dragged from his residence by
| the police or soldiers. Somebody hit uron
the idea of tempting Said Pasha once more
within the gates. of the Yildiz Kiosk by the
| offer of the vizierate, Rifat Pasha, the
present grand yizer, being supposed to
| have fallen into disrepute with his royal
| master.
| Said Pasha however, is too well versed i'll
the traditions of the Yildz Kiosk to be
caught with such a bait. He sent polite
refusal when formally offered the vizierate
and this led to the Jess subtle offer of &C
commodation in the famous Midhat Passa-
chalet of the YildiZ park.
The pasha also refused this tempting
offer unless the present conditions Of
government were changed and when he
heard that the sultan, nerved TO despera-
| ton by the inti,nations of the palace cour-
| tiers. had determined upon his arrest. he
| lost no time in placing himself under the
| protection of Sir Philip Currie
| Then it became known that, during the
progress Of these negotia tions, Said Pasha,
| upon one occasion, was detained at the
palace long that his friends. who had
been fearing his arrest for weeks past
went to the ambassadors for advice.
| Nobody doubts that Said Pasha had
| good reason to seek the protection of the
| British ambassador. and the situation. is
| recognized on all sides being extremely
critical.
| The Sultan Incensed.
When the sultan was informed of The
| course taken by Said Pasha he was greatly
incensed and made several futile attempts
| to induce the fugitive to return to his
| house. He sent Tewfk Pasha and other
ministers to the British embassy, where
| they had long interview with Said Pasha
and held out all kinds of promises to him
| on the suItan's behalf.
But all their efforts to persuade the
pasha to leave the embassy came to moth
| Ing, Said firmly refusing to trust himself
| outside Of his asylum.
Later In the day, Tewfk Pasha visited
| Sir Philip Currie and begged the ambas.
| sador to do his utmost to induce Said
Pasha to return to his home. making use
| Of the argument that the flight of the pres
| ident Of the council of state was certain
| to have very bad effect upon the popula-
| ton of Constantinople and might cause
trouble of a most serious nature.
But all these arguments were thrown
away upon Sir Philip, who, after listening
quietly to all that his caller had to say on
| the subject. politely told him that he could
not interfere in the matter. He added that
| Said Pasha had asked for an asylum, and
| that his request had been granted. There
| the matter ended. so far the British
ambassador was concerned.
The Pashn Refuses to Return.
The failure Of Tewfik Pasha's errand in
creased the anger of Abdul Hamid, who
sent his secretary to interview the fugitive
president of the council Of state. The sec
rotary spent two hours with Said Pasha
at the embassy, doing his utmost to per-
suade him to return to his residence. But
no amount of argument would change the
mind of the Pasha and the secretary went
| away as unsuccessful at Tewfk Pasha.
The ConstantinOple correspondent of the
London Times says: az ,-,
/ IN declining the!i appointment of grand
vizier, Said Pasha asked the sultan's per-
| misnion on the ground of bad health, to re-
| tire and live quietly abroad. This ranked
| in the salt;tn's mind. and induced great
| deal of anger and Said Pasha, who is not
| u coward, is persuaded that the sultan
would have killed him had he entered the
| Yilidiz palace. The secret of the whole
| business is that Said is so popular and SO
| highly esteemed that it is feared he might
| join the malcontent party. He has always
all of the official pashas. Munur, the
new ambassador to Paris, was formerly
| the head political spy.
THE story is current here that the sui
| tan has returned to his youthful habit of
| dram drinking"
The London Standard has a dispatch
| from Constantnople which says that after
Said's first refusal of the office of grand
| vizier he imprisoned for a week.
The London Daily News Constantinople
correspondent says:
Said Pasha's proclvities are Russian
and surprise is expressed that he did not
take refuge at the Russian embassy, in
stead of at the British embassy. 1t is
stated that the sultan questioned him as to
the origin of certain seditious placards
and, on his protesting ignorance, the sui
tan reproached him with being at the head
of the revolutionary movement. He has
the reputation OF being most upright and
single-minded minister.