The sun., 1897-06-13
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One Of the most interesting and useful con
tributions TO our knowledge Of the situation In
the Balkan Peninsula IL the volume entitled
"Ths Outgoing Turk. By n. O. Thomson tAp-
piotons). This II q work Of unusual Importance,
and the buyers for college, mercantile, and town
libraries cannot afford to overlook IT. More
light IL thrown BY II on the Eastern aues-
tlon than by any other ton Of the books COM
monty consulted by students Of the subject
IL 10 primarily . record OF = Journey through
Bosnia and tho Herzegovina, the provinces
which the Congress OF Berlin placed under tie
control OF Austria without annexing them to
tile dominions Of that power. In calling his book
"The Outgoing Turk" tho author uses Turk
not in tho sense of Mohammcdan, but in that OF
"osmonli official;" for in Bosnia and tho
Herzegovina q third OF tho people are still
Mohammedans protected In all their rights and
with full liberty to worship without insult and
without restraint The provinces have merely
been occupied by Austria for tho enforcement
of order. Nominally, they still form part
OF Turkey, and are under the sover-
eighty of the Sultan; but the Pashas and
Turkish officials have boen cleared out
bag and baggage, and the Government 10
entirely In Austrian hands. Many onlookers.
Including some who took part in the Congress Of
borlln, wOulu nave prcieTreu the lOru1atlOn OF
tributary State like Bulgaria, but It is pointed
out by Mr.. Thomson that the conditions were not
parallel. In Bulgaria thorc were comparatively
few Mohamncdans and hardly any Catholics,
whereas in Bosnia and tho Herzegovina almost
one.half OF the population was then Moslen,
end OF tho Christians n considerable proportion
were Roman Catholic. The people were not ft
for liberty; they could mover have united to
form one nation, and to them tho gift of nuton-
omy would have been but prolonging OF mis-.
cry. What they were in immediate necd Of was
strong. firm government, such as Austria has
given them The proclamation announcing the
occupation promised that all tho people in the
land should enjoy equal rights before the law,
and that they should be protected In
life, in belief in personal property and In real
estate. This promise Austria has kent She
has established peace where there was never
ending strife Sho has evolved government
and order ont OF anarchy and chaos: under her
rule all races and all religions are not only tol-
Grated, but protected. Although u Catholic
country herself. an ardently Catholic country,
she is making no attempt to favor the Catholics
at the expense of either the Turks or the ortho-
dox Christians. She subscribes TO the main
tenance of all three religions, though she has
treated the Turks with rather more considera-
tion than tho others, not only from reasons Of
political expediency, but from wise and gener-
GUS desire to soften the pain Of submission and
the bitter sting Of defeat.
The principal purpose Of this book is to show
how great transformation can be effected by
twenty years of resolute Christian government
In q country the terrible condition Of which at
the date of the Berlin Congress has been de-
Bcribed by Mr.. Arthur Evans. 1t was In the sum.
ner of 1896 that Mr.. Thomson travelled
through Bosnia and the Herzegovina by carriage
md post cart more than eight hundred miles,
bot along the main lines Of communication, but
through tho outlying mountainous districts, far
removed from the railways, and seldom visited
except by officials during their periodic tours Of
inspection. He found that the people had been
disarmed, and that, owingto this circumstance
and to the excellent system of gendarmerie,
perfect security prevails throughout the
land. The peasants, It is true, are poor and
backward; that is only to be expected after
the centuries Of oppression they have had
to endure; every effort, however, Is being
made to improve their condition and tc
tighten their lot. Everywhere our author went
he found that the resolute yet kindly rule o.
Baron Appel and Baron Kutschera had pro
duced a wholesome effect. The people feel tina
their complaints will be patiently listened to
and that justice will not be denied them. Mos
lem and Christian are beginning to mix witt
each other on equai terms; 10 learn "utua
respect ana mutual toieratioh' ana as tnei
cnottered feuds ole ONT, the Tree intermihghhl
OF an It's peopies' 10 whlch the iahd mas oeeh v
long stranger. ana '"ithoue "hich proereSs
impossioie' VIII become more permanent an
more intimate. wise ana humane however d
tne RUE OF austria mas oeen' inc inhao'tahts q
tnese provinces are ne'er'heiess' aiseohteh'eu
the Turks because they have been deprived O
power Ihe Cathoics' because they nave re
ceivea less thah they expected; ana the vi
tnoaoN oeroS because tney aesire independence
NO matter no" wen people may DC governed
30 iohs as they 90 NOT govern themselves ther
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