Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-01-17
THE SULTAN'S TYRANNY
a Display of Force Necessary to Co

n bispiay or Force Necessary to Col
lect Indemnity
y gentleman who is we'll acouointed
with affairs in Turkey saws that there
is no prospect that the United states
VIII recover from the Turkish govern
nent the indemnity it has demanded
Tor the obstruction Of mission property
OF the American Board until n show Of
force is made in Turkish waters. The
turkish government is one which never
acts in such matter until IL Is forced
to. He says that it will probably not he
necessary for our administration to go
to the extent OF actually bombardng Il
Turkish port-Smyrna helng the one
most frequently mentioned in that CON
nectiOn- but IL will be necessary TO
send warships there. ready to lombard
If the payment is not made when de-
handed This is recognized by Minis
ter StrauS: II was recognized by Minis
ter Angel ana by Minister Terrell be-
fore him. The end of the incident will
nCe be reached until we are ready to
take this step.
Speaking of the relations OF the de-
partments OF the Turkish government
with each other, the speaker said that
the Porte, meaning the heads of the
dc partmcrts, is always in antagonism
to the Sultan. This is the chronic con-
dition in Turkey. The Grand Vizier.
who is more like our Secretary of State
than any other official. is practically n
control his own movements. He is al
ways under the orders of the Sultan.
He cannot go anywhere without Civ
ing an account of himself. lie is under
suspicion all the time This caution on
the part OF the Sultan is because he
wishes to prevent any plots against his
life.
The time of the Turkish administra-
ton is occupied with petty details. ~
magic lantern exhibition could not be
given until the matter had been re-
ferred to the central government.
The condition of politics and society
in Turkey to-day is represented as ter
riblc. The Sultan follows the policy of
putting out of the way prominent and
active men who are likely To make
trouble for him. 1t is the truth that.
since the Armenian massacres, no fewer
than some 1000 active men have dis
appeared mysteriously from CONSTANT
noplc. They are put out Of the way no
one knows how. 1t is possible that they
have been sent secretly to the mines in
the interior. but ii is also possible-and
this is believed to be their fate as pro-
badly as anything that they are sent
out by night III a steamer upon the
Bosphorus and thrown overheard in
sacks. i was not long ago that there
appeared in one of the newspapers n
few lines Of caution to Moslems to be
on their guard for the defence of their
| liberties. The Sultan thought that the
warning came from a certain club OF
young Turks. who were understood to
be particularly interested in the gov
eminent At any rate. in one night
directly after that $40 of the members
of that club disappeared. and it has
been utterly impossible TO find any trace
OF them since. That is the way the
Sultan keeps the upper hand and pre-
vents the formation of political plots
against him.
His policy depends upon the exist
encc of spies. and there are many Ar
menians engaged in this despicable
service. During the Armenian massu-
ores Armenian spies were in the ser
vice of the Sultan. This black trait OF
Armenian character is recognized by
those who are familiar with the r-.oe
For money or position some of them
betray their own countrymen. Armen-
ian spies are constantly employed in
the United States. and whatever is said
or done here which appears hostile to
the Sultan is reported in Constantinople
and made note of there. II possible.
the friends there of persons here who
offend the government are punished
| The utmost diligence ana cruelty are
exercised for the support Of the des-
rotic power of the Sultan md the lives
and property OF his subjects are of lit
! tie value in his Sioht