New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-02
FURNISH .MIXTTRE.'
THE EXTRAORDINARY VARIETY OF RACES
OVER WHICH THE SULTAN RULES.
The St. James's Gazette.

| From The st. James'G Gazette.
The Sultan of Turkey may be very inefficient
ruler: but when we blame him for not carrying out
the promised reforms without hitch or delay We
do not treat him with that fair play OF which we
are so proud as nation owing to the eXt tt
rules his difficulties are almost insurmountable;
and it is doubtful whether he or any one else Will
ever succeed in making Turkey land OF peace
There are no fewer than seven main divisions Of
races in the European and Asian provinces. In
Europe both the Greeks and Abanians are as
numerous the Ottoman Turks. eacn contingent
authorities Constantinople itself has just as diver
sifed mixture as the kingdom generai[; ana only
! $4,000 Of lis $1,000 Inhabitants are Mussuimahs,
the Greeks numbering $4,000 and the Armenial IS
1900 But In Asia there are twice as many nan
proper consist OF Ottomans. Yurouks. ana Turk9-
Very sound TO US: but travellers unite in describing
the Ottomans as honorable and humane men. a =
Turkomans live a pastoral life. while the Iurouks
are nomadc and therefore not easily subjected 10
Although the Greeks and the Alban!ans are re-
garded belonging 10 the same Gf8co-l Latin rae
the latter are for the most part Mussulmans. Some
OF the Albanians Roman Catholics and others
are of the Greek Church. and the two slight
nellites and Ant-Parneltes But, whatever re
of fah they prefer di the same time
they are Of fine physical type ana make spienGld
! and. although they dress in rich clothes Of the
fashion OF the Scottish Highlands. they have a
on their clothes once for all and never take them
OFF In the event of war the Abanians would prob
ably fight for the Sultan. The Greeks have no,
| penetrated very far inland, but have scattered
! themselves along the coast Of both European ana
Asiatic Turkey where they are always on the look
| out 10 put money in thei" purse. Together with
the Jews and the Armenans they DO neSriy a..
the trading and banking Of the country, and make
a very good thing OF II. In spite OF the sultan
nisrule the Greeks immgrate in ncreasihs nun
must be sinEuary inPTnnTni pe@ },aT ali Or
| Armenians and their cXterninators.' the kur1s.
are both sprung from Persian stock Inc k [
live in the mountains and are not precisely the knd
Of people one would care TO SCI aoou, h
say there are over two millions. Ihey keep 'hII
| Sultan In perpetual hot water. being very bad
! Moslems But they very enterprsing chiefly
in Staying Armen!ans and stealing their neighbors'
goods. When not thus engaged they rear cattle.
/ sheep and goats; and they differ In no way from
/ was a portion Of Western Asia. between the cas-
! plan Sea and Asia Minor. but ii has suffered the
| fate OF Poland and the Armenians are now almost
! as scattered as the Jews. They number about
two and half millions. and are intelligent people
! with a particular talent for trade and banking.
| The Kurds would probably fight on the SIDE OF me
! Turks and we al know what side the Arme mans
! would take r,.
! The Semitic race has many families in Turkey
! There the Jews who. persecuteG everyWh .
! took refuge in Turkey: the Greek Church Maron-
| ties who are the deadly foes Of their neighbors
J the Druses: the Druses. OF the Manomeian lallh'
brave and temperate men VINO ,akS ncDHfr VII, me
Chadeans. who arc Christians OF SJIl' the Alaps
Of whom there are four or FIVE millions ana VINO.
though holding the same rcnEdous Nv c,,r w M,
/ Then there is the fine race Of CircassiahS, WHO
are differentiated from most OF the oihef lhhapl-
tants by the fact that they work for living; the
! Iazes and the Cypsies. 1t is supposed that. in
The event Of war the Lazes and Crcassians. as
/ well as the Tartars. Yurouks and Turhomans
! iects while the Albanians and the l<urds might,
/ but probab bly, would not. oppose him.