The times., 1901-05-08
An Imnortnnt MosIem Movement.

An Important MosIem Movement.
Within the memory of people still
reasonably young, England's influence
was completely predominant in Con
stantinople Later came the British
J seizure of Egypt, and then Russia
gained an ascendency at the Turkish
capital. Finally the German Kaiser es-
tabIished an influence which ousted
that Of the Car, and today Germany
is the one civilized State on intimate
| terms with the Sick Man of the East.
These things are important to remem-
| Der in connection with a commission
| which recently started from Constan-
tinopIe, with the purpose Of establish
ing close relations between Abdul
| Hamid as chief of Islar' and the Mo-
( hammedans of China. The personnel
of this interesting mission is composed
of high military officers, ulemas and
| hadjis and it is regarded as a very i'm
portant political step in the interest of
! the Turco-Teutonic alliance-if it may
! be called so-in the Far East.
| 1t is significant of the Sultans re-
! lance upon the protection of the Kaiser
| that although Russia strenuously OBJ
! jected to the despatch of the embassy
! in question. it was started off, it is
| said, with the full privfty and consent
of the Berlin Government. Neither
Russia nor yet England, each with a
huge Mussulman population, can af-
| ford to ignore a movement in the di-
rection of religious consolidation and
more complete recognition of TIE Caliph-
ate claimed by the head of the Otto
man Empire. which if successful might
endow those populations with dan
gerous potentialities. Were Islam some
day to declare a jehad and unfurl the
green banner of the Prophet in war
for the faith, nobody can tel what
might happen. Germany, without Mo-
hammedan subjects to speak of. can
afford to contemplate consequences
with equanimity. In the role of the
only non Mussulman friend Of the Mus
suImans, Wilhelm II stands to win
advantages, primarily in China, but
possibly in other quarters. Readers Of
The Times viii remember that when
he was in Palestine he declared TO
a delegation of Turks that the three
hundred million followers Of their re-
Ifgion in the world might always look
| upon him as their protector.
1t would be difficult to discount the
probable effect Of the present Turkish
mission upon the minds or actions of
the Chinese Mohammedans. They num-
Der many millions, largely occupy some
Of the best provinces. and beyond doubt
form the best fighting element in the
Empire. II, as is believed in London
and st. Petersburg. Germany has not
yet satisfied her territorial aspirations
in China, their friendship would be a
source of strength in connection with
any undertaking looking to German
colonial expansion. But it is not so
much on account of that as because
Of the general menace Of pan-Islamism
that Russia and England need to look
askance at such movements.
The tradition of the latter's old
friendship for Turkey is still factor
in Indian politics. In addition to this,
there has been some idea among the
8Iohammedans Of India tEat the Otto
man Turk on the throne at StambouI
had no right to assume the Caliphate,
but that ii belonged at Mecca, in the
person Of the Grand Shereef, always
descendant Of the Prophets family,
with which the Sultan is not in any
way connected. This opinion is in
way to be speedily overcome The
Grand Shereef has been won or bought
over to the support of Abdul Hamid
and his pretensiOns, and is reported as
doing all he can TO further them. He
is a potent agency for such a purpose,
since the annual pilgrimages to Mecca
bring him into personal and influential
relations with his leading coreligionists
from all parts of the world, and his
ability and opportunity to create pub
lie sentiment in India, Turkestan, Mon
golia. and the Mohammedan islands of
the Pacific through the means at his
command are not 10 be treated lightly.
No one need doubt that were the Sui
tan Of Turkey once recognized as the
Caliph Of ali Islam. his power to create
trouble would Immediately become
enormous. He could hold ii over the
heads Of the British Government, and
Of Russia as well. and if driven TO the
would probably precipitate rebeliions |
in India and Russianized Central Asia |
Of terrible proportions. What he might |
be able to do in China is perhaps an |
open question. The Chinese MussuI- |
mans have been separated from the |
fountain heads Of their cult so long
that II may take time and tact to re- |
educate them in the blind fanaticism |
which has made the children Of Mo i
hammed the danger to Christendom !
they have shown themselves in the |
past; but probably the old stuff is in |
them yet. The developments of the fu- |
ture might yet SHOW that Western civ |
iization Is quite as much threatened by /
the Peril in the Tarboosb as by what /
Kaiser Wilhelm has so aptly called |
the yellow Peril"
Yesterday the coal miners Of the United
Kingdom were undecided whether to go |
on strike or not The meeting Of their |
executive board adjourned until today |