The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-17

never been restored
Most tempting offers have been made to
induce the Sultan TO allow the introduction
Of the telephone in Constantinople. They
have invariably failed, for the same reason
Tho last time such An offer was made
It met with unexpected opposition from
administration officials. The head OF the
telephone syndicate argued his cause
temptingly with q Cabinet Minister The
reply was that not only was It hopeless
TO approach the Sultan, but that the Cabinet
would unanimously oppose the innovation.
The astonlshed foreigner asked why.
Because 1t Is bad enough to be summoned
to the palace by special messenger at
O'Clock in the morning. II the members
of the Government had telephones in their
houses they would not be their own masters
q single hour in the twenty.four,' was the
frank but very conclusive explanation.
II Is under internal conditions such a.
are suggested by the foregoing inadequate
observations that the Turkish Empire b
striving TO maintain itself against the con-
hiottng ambitions and jealousies Of the great
Powers. The Sultan's task both within
and without his own dominions has been
to make rival aspirations and rival enmities
canoel each other.
! His skill in accomplishing this has been
the marvel Of diplomacy for nearly thirty
years. His problem Of internal admtnistra-
| ton, it Is only the simple truth to admit,
has been more dificult than that Of any
other ruler.
No portion Of his empire 70 free from the
most difhcult racial and religious conflicts.
Moslems and Christians, Greeks and Slavs,
Armenians and Kurds. Jews and Arabs
are thrown into proptnquity which in
some cases makes peaceful existence I'M
possible. Those foreign observers who
know Turkey best are all willing to admit
that the most civilized and we'll intentioned
Of governments in face of such problem
would have been unable 10 avoid serious
local outbreaks.
The wonder Is not that there have been
occasional atrocities. but that massaores
have not been moro frequent. Tho policy
Of the Turk seems to be when he " no longer
able to control a racial or religious feud.
and some blood letting becomes inevitable.
TO lot the explosion take place and TO con-
tent himself with making sure that his own
supremacy Is not endangered.
When one takes into consideration the
Turkish point OF view and also tho ignor-
ance, fanatic ism and narrow -mindedness Of
all the warning elements Of the population.
one wonders what other policy Ia to be
expected. 1t is not worth while discussing
again at this late day the last Armenian
massarres, hut it 10 significant to know
that foreign sentiment In const antinople
includes very little sympathy with the
victims,
The commonest libAl against the Turk
is that he is religiouely intolerant. On
the contrary he IL utterly indifferent to any
amount Of propagandam by the repre-
sentatives of her faiths.
His attit udc, for instance, toward Ameri
can missionary effort in Armenia il one OF
amused contempt. He is simply unable 10
understand the motives for q great ex
penditure Of time and money in order 20
change a Christian OF one sort into Chris
tisn Of another sort Moslem receives q
suggestion that he should substitute an.
other prophet for Mahomet. not with any
resentment. hut In the same spirit that
q great fnancier would treat a proposal
from . gentle alchemist who has a process
for TRANSMITTING steel rails into gold, |
He Is no theologian. and religion is With
him largely a matter OF heredity. He can
not understand volunt airy abandonment !
Of the rel gious faith Of ones childhood |
not even when the change involves en-
bracing Moslemism. Hence Christian |
convert to Mahomet Is always regarded |
with suspicion and not until the third gen. |
Grafton are his children regarded as true |
Moslems.
II follows that therc ia no MOslem propa- |
ganda, and that the futility OF Christian !
missionary work among the Faithful is
recognized and such effort has been vir-
tually abandoned Medical charities and /
purely educational work among the Turkish
population are accomplishing valuable re-
suits. There is no institution in existence
deserving of higher Endorsement than
Roberts College, which excludes religious
teaching from its curriculum.
Severe criticism unfortunately is to be
heard among the missionary foreign
residents Of Turke- cfthe educational policy
of American missionaries in both Armenia
and Mapod mia. This point lie not to be
avoided. ,harply controversial although
It undou' teddy Is.
1t ha' been urged upon my attention In
two asi scts. First, with regard to Armenia
it is said that considerable social and po-
ltcal discomfort is caused by educating
young men and women bsyond their sta
tions in life: beyond the requirements OF
available spheres Of existence. The crea-
ton OF tastes and ambitions impossible Of
qualification produces inevitable unhappi-
ness and some Of the effects which are men
toned. especially among Armenian young
women, would I've appalling to the American
supporters OF this class of effort
II is provinoiaism Of the narrowest sort
and not observation-disclosures which refuses
to recognize that while unlimited eduoa.
ton in land of unlimited opportunities
like America is always a boon. yet in a
country hke Turkey it may easily become
a grave evil. There is a growing section
Of public opinion in England which opposes
the advanced education Of the masses
even in that enlightened democracy on
the ground that 1t IL rapidly destroying
the servant and laboring classes. II there
10 excuse for such an argument in England,
it becomes far more forcible in land where
'lnskilled labor is almost the only means
Of livelihood.
A Turksh official holding an important
post In the administration Of Macedonia
In discussing the ituation in that unhappy
province the other day ascrked he present
orisis almost exclusively To the effects oi
missionary educational effort, II the
hriatiap n,inoritv worc strnpn opnn~h |