Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1899-08-30
HE SAW THE SULTAN.
WHO SEEMS TO THINK HIMSELF MIS-
UNDERSTOOD.


/ Translated-FulI of Historical Excuses
/ ln,presses Everyone Brought Into Close
Contact With Him.
! i had a talk a few days ago with a
young American who had spent sew
eral years in Constantinople as a Sec
retary of Legation, and he gave me
some interesting glimpses into the
character OF the Sultan. l should say
that, unlike myself-unlike most peo'
pile in England-this young American
was rather an admirer personally OF
the ruler of the Turkish Empire, and
what he said must be taken with that
sieuuction.
j As to the Sultan's constant dread OF
assassination there is not the small
est doubt His visits once year to
the city-even his weekly visits to the
Mosque to say his prayers-are pre-
pared with an elaborateness that dis
plays the most constant dread of con-
spiracy and conspirators. Thus it is,
Tor instance, that all the streets along
the land route are arranged In the
most careful manner for the passing OF
the Sultan. The banners are out. the
roads made smooth-everything Is
done which seems to prove that the
Sultan is certain to go that way and
to return by the water route. At the
last moment the Sultan goes by the
water route and returns by land.
THESE terrors are largely due to the
fact that the Armenians are the most
capable and reckless throwers OF
bombs in the world.
The Armenians in Constantinople
are strange mixture. While they are
ready to do such desperate deeds, and
to take all the consequences to them
selves as to Others they have no power
of making open resistance. and appar-
emily even little will to do so. For in
stance, in that terrible riot in which
1000 Armenians were killed couple
of years ago, eleven Armenians were
standing in the streets, all armed with
crowbars. Nine Turks with nothing
but clubs came up. They killed ali
the Armenians. who did not ever
make an attempt at resistance. II
they had made any such attempt they
would undoubtedly have proved the
stronger. When my friend discussed
fthe extraordinary action of the Ar.
menians with an Armenian banker hi
Expressed no surprise. All he could
feel was admiration for the men wht
mad thus allowed themselves to b,
massacred like sheep. They were pa
triots, he said; they wished to maxi
the massacres as bad as possible, 81
as to bring about the Intervention o
Europe.
! Although the Sultan does stand il
fear of assassination, and although b
Is undoubtedly guarded carefully
there are few If any signs of this il
his immediate neighborhood. 1t
difficult to get access to the palace
but once you are in there you see fewe
soldiers and fewer signs of precaution
than in Russia, or even Germany
You Sc nothing but obsequious sery
ants.
The Sultan impresses immensely b
mis- ability everybody who is brough
into close contact with him. In all tn
years he had seen him, my America
friend had never, he said, seen hill
taken aback; never without an answe
even when things were hottest an
darkest against him. He has alway
a specious argument; a historical i
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. sly nations
recrimination-to urge in defen'
of his own acts, and even of the wor'
barbarities in his own kingdom. An
he says all these things with perfe'
calm and possession; indeed, as
gentleman who is painfully mieunde
stood. His repartees are, perhaps, tt
easier to make because he takes plel
ty of time to prepare them. Fl
though undoubtedly he understand
French fairly well, It is contrary
court etiquette that he should spea
Rn any language but Turkish, ever;