The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-06

About three weeks ago twelve Ulemas
were arrested Mt Constantinople on the
charge os conspiring to transfer the Kha-
liftte from the Sultan to the Khedive Of
Egypt; they were however, released on tho
seventeenth OF last month"; a few days after
their arrest the charge, it Is said, not hav-
Ing been proved. At the time the Ulemas
we're arrested the Palace was said to have
been greatly agitated. owing to reports
from Mecca, where dissatisfaction at the
subsection of the centre OF Mohammedanism
to the Turk never ceases.
Among tho many races composing the
Ottoman Empire there is none to which
the Turk is more obnoxious than to the
Arab; and to such lengths Is the hatred
carried that, while an Arab might go out
OF his way to relieve a Christian in dis
trees, he would leave q Turk to die by
the wayside without any notice but a
curse. The profound antipathy OF the
Arab to his conqueror has never changed,
and since the weakening of the Turk
ish Government through tho last war
with Russia and the British occupation OF
Egypt. the Arab aspirations for revival OF
their independence have grown stronger.
For several years past rebellion in south
authority there covers no more ground
than is occupied by the imperial troops.
The imposslbility OF governing and keep
ing the peace in a territory so extensive
and so devoid OF means OF communication
is taxing the Sultan to the utmost, and to
bring 1t more under control 1t has been de-
cided to divide the part Of Arabia form
ing the littoral OF tho Rcd Sea into
,,;l,, tbn& -
Mecca being in the centre. The arrests OF
the Ulemas at Constantinople however,
show that the danger to tho Sultan's STU
premacy lies IN causes that are not to be
touched by the increase OF administrative
divisions In Arabia. Other methods Of gov.
eminent are required, but the misfortune OF
the Turk is that he almost invariably when
doing the right thing does it too late.
1t does not follow, however, that because
Of the alleged conspiracy at Constantinoplc
the time Is yet ripe for the removal Of the
Khalifate to some other Mohammedan CEN
tire. There are many reasons why it should
continue where it Is for the present. The
matter Is one that concerns more than one
Of the great powers. Russia. France
and Austria have large numbers OF
Aohammedans under their rule and
would certainly claim voice In the
settlement Of the new seat OF the
Khalifate. When the time therefore
comes that it may be found expedient &c
consent to Its transfer elsewhere it would
lie to a neutral state and not to one con
trolled exclusively by any one European
power, as Egypt is now by England. Tc
allow Mecca to become the seat OF the Kha
lifate, as things are, would be almost
equivalent to establishing it at Cairo
owing to the religious relations between
India and Mecca, which Is the resort OF the
millions OF British Indian Moham
medans. The destiny OF the Khalifatt
appears therefore to be fixed for the present
at Constantnople; and though the quos
ton OF its transfer is primarily religion,
Que, 1t Is at the same time political anC
International, and can hardly be RAISED
without at the same time bringing up tina
=. the British occupancy Of Egypt.