Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-24
TURKISH CHRISTIANS
The Moslem's Side of the
Troubles Shown.
INTENSE FANATICISM
SECTARIAN SCHISMS RESPONSE
BILE FOR A SERIOUS DILEMMA.
Islamism One Of the Most Tolerant Of
Reigions-The Sultan's
Predicament.

Written for The Evening Star
remarka BILE circumstance connected
with the present agitation in European Tur-
key is the somewhat changed attitude of
christendom. The official declarations re-
ga.dng the porte and his Christian subjects.
whatever the motive behind them, together
with the modified tone of the press, mark
a stage in the eastern question, and
are of the utmost significance. The capture
of Miss Stone by Macedonian brigands may
have contributed to this result At first
blindly attributed to the Turks, 1t is now
well understood to have been perpetrated
by Christian insurgents to raise funds for
and to arouse European sympathy by throw
ing the blame on the Mohammedans. The
discovery of the facts deprived the Macedo-
MAN leaders of the h editor advantages.
The well-informed and unprecedented knew
at once that the Mosems had nothing to
do with that crime Organized brigandage
IS foreign to Turkish nature and habits.
Excepting certain predatory and turbulent
TRIES, chiefly IT. remote quarters, who rob
or STAY on the spot, the brigandS of the
empire who aim for ransoms have invaria-
bly, been Christians Many of the leaders
of the Greek revolution were originally
hlephts or robbers. The writer has often
met some of the pious, picturesque and
semi patriotic ruffians of that memorable
conflict.
Returning to the official declarations re-
1erred to above, one of the Austro-R Rus
sian notes to the insurgents recognizes Tur-
Key as the premier authority" and admits
her right to suppress a rebellion on her
own territory as she thinks best" appar-
entity truism. according to the law Of ma
lions. but probably now first admitted so
frankly by the European powers.
Balfour's Statement.
Premier Balfour, replying to the de-
mand of the archbishop of Canterbury
Tor the Intervention of England. de-
scribes the situation in a tone far differ
ent from that assumed by Mr.. Gladstone
on a similar occasion. I'VE have not
now, says Mr.. Balfour. ito deal with a
simple case of miSgovernment or on
preston by Turkish officials, but with
Christian population of Macedonia is
rent In fragments by differences In race
aggravated by differences in religion.
The revolutionists have deliber-
ately done their best to drive the Turks
to excuses and furnish them with an ex-
cuse for deferring the execution of re-
forms, meeting horrors with horrors and
brutality with brutality for the deliber-
ate purpose of driving the Turks to
crimes against the innocent and thus
play ,Ips}p the sympathy of the world
Such methods as these are no more NOR
ally tolerable than the misgovernment
which is their cause"
The main points in the foregoing off,
e cl.s statements are the very points which
ages Their formal recognition now
should go far toward simplifying the
oriental question in future and curbing
tho hasty judgments of Christians. In
their reports thoroughly informed Amer
lean missionaries in Turkey admitted.
though with reluctance, that the Ar
menian massacres were provoked by the
Armenian Hunkagist Revolutionary So
ciety against the urgent circumstances of
peaceable people who foresaw too well
the awful possibilities involved.
The Armenian Troubles,
In their crazy thirst for results these
selfish agitators, who mostly kept outside
of the sphere OF their pernicious activi-
ties, actually proceeded to open violence
The expected massacres followed, but not
the hoped-for Intervention of the powers
for the Armenians are so widely scattered
and mixed up with other races that ma
tional autonomy was impossible, such as
may exis. in the Balkan provinces or with
the Lebanon Christians. The direct COM
plicity Of Sultan Abdul Hamid in the Ar
menfan butcheries has never been proved
Like the horrors of the commune at Paris
and many other unspeakable outrages of
which christendom has been guilty in our
own time, the maSsacres of Christians in
the Turkish empire are generally caused
by sudden explosions Of smoldering fires
kept alive by the fact that antagonistic
populations are driven to madness by
dwelling in a false position from which
cape is difficult. In such cases blame and
sympathy attach to both sides alike.
The eastern problem, apparently SIM
pie question of creed, is so complicated by
pueril, distinctions and irreconcilable sec
tartan feuds, by racial factors and jeal-
ousies and by the ambitions of outside
powers perpetually plotting and intriguing
to grab more influence and territory on the
plea of sympathy for coreligionists that
1t is practically inSoluble unless by the
evolution of time or by resorting to a war
that would involve the whole of Europe
and Asia, owing to the critically involved
interests of the powers-a conflict that
would change the world.
For example, with us church and state in
principle, and for the most part. in practice,
let us hope, are absolutely distinct and
separate, each having its own sphere of
authority. An Americans creed has moth
ing to do with his allegiance to the state,
which is paramount so far as life in the
United States is concerned: But it is quite
otherwise in the east. Leaving out of
consideration the Jews, the KurdS and the
various nondeScript communities like the
Yezidis or the Druses, the population of the
Turkish empire consists on the one hand of
Turks, or the dominant race. and on the
other hand of Christians, who are forever
plotting and fighting to crush each other
or to escape from Turkish rule.
The Ottoman Advance
The rapid progress of the Ottoman power
in the middles ages. threatening to over
run all christendom. aroused such dread
that sentiment was produced which grad
ually degenerated with altered circum-
stances into a prejudice. This makes it
difficult to say anything favorable to the
Turks without being misunderstood; but
love of fair play is an Anglo-Saxon trait
that should make us willing to listen to
both sides Of a question. To shrink from
granting fair play indicates weakness The
policy of the Turkish conquerors toward
their Christian subjects has always been,
and continues to be. as described by Leo,
an Armenian prince. when visiting western
Europe in the fourteenth century. as re-
corded by Froissart. "Amurath," said Leo,
speaking of the then Turkish sultan, de
sireth nothing but truage, and leveth still
every man in his own believe, and he put
teth no man from his heritage" From
that period the Turks have never inter-
fered with the religion, practices and in
situations of their Christian subjects. I'm
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