Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-09-18

THE UNsPEAKABLE TURK.
Disturbing Factor In Worlds Affairs
For 600 Years.

Disturbing Factor In Worlds Affairs
For 600 Years.
For q hundredth time in 600 years
the Asiatic interloper in Europe, the
Turk holds the centre Of the worlds
stage. This time there are indications
that 1t may be his last stand. A de-
cadent empire, only kept together by
the mutual distrust and jealousy of
Christian nations, headed by a ruler
who has lost ground steadily since the
beginning Of his rule, Turkey today Is
tottering on the brink Of chasm. no
one can say how deep. Nor can any
one say what the result will be when
the final crash comes. The crash is
inevitable; the time alone is the un-
known factor.
AS to the Turk himself-collectivel
individually and as race-he, too, like
his empire, Is tottering. For centuries
he has been decayIng, his character
sapped out by his excesses In living,
his sensualism, his lethargy and his
unfeigned cruelty. He constitutes the
one and only non-C Christian nation OF
Europe. Yet, despite barbaric efforts
to foster the spirit Of Mohammed with
the torch and the sword, Christianity
has steadily grown within the very
heart of his domain.
The Turk today holds sway over
three continents, his territory cover
ing. beside Europe. Asia and Africa.
It's area is 2,53O,OOO square miles, or
about twelve times that Of Germany.
1t nearly equals the whole Of Europe.
OF this immense bounds only 1,115,OO0
square miles is under the Turks direct
rule. The vast remainder Is merely
tributary or under nominal suzerainty.
So long as the concert Of powers can
not reach any satisfactory division OF
this territory so long will the Turk be
left to rule 1t.
The great bulk Of the trade is con-
trolled by Greeks, Armenians and Jews,
with few foreigners, who are exempt
from taxation. The Turk has but 1,2OO
miles of railroads-hardly good sys-
tenn in the United States-and controls
22,4O0 miles Of telegraph lines. or this
population of 5O,O00,OOO, but 100000
Is in Europe. Such, in brief, Is the
land of the Turk.
| AIIah's Precepts Supreme.
| Over all this domain the sultan's will
is absolute, except that he cannot
contravene the accepted doctrines OF
Mohammed. Thirty vilayets comprise
the political divisions. AS to the Turks 8
army, every Musselman Is liable for
service after his goth birthday for
twenty years. -Mohammedans
may obtain exemption at rate OF
about $3.50 head. On peace footing
the sultan's army numbers 10000 off,
GERS and 10000 men. In war times
probably 1,25O,OOO men could be called
to arms. His navy Is so obsolete, with
few exceptions, as to be hardly worthy
of mention. 1t should be noted, how
ever, that the Dardanelles and Straits
Of the Bosphorus, the approaches to
| Constantinople, are we'll fortified With
powerful guns. The Turk Is willy, de-
spite his decrepitude.
The Turks ancestral home Is Gen.
trail Asia. The easterly tribes early
established rule in China. and were
closely akin to the Tartars. The ear
liest historical mention Of the Turks
was considerably prior to $50 A. D..
The. position they occupied. however,
was Of little Importance until the time
of Othman, the founder of the present
dynasty, Of which Abdul Hamid II, the
present ruler. Is the thirty-fourth
reigning sovereign: when about 1880
A. D., the Othman Turks took possess
sion of considerable Asiatic territory.
By the beginning of the fourteenth
century they had made themselves
masters Of many more provinces and
having captured Nicea, had established
their capital at Broussa.
Nine Centuries In Europe.
| It was in 1880 the Turk first appear
ed in Europe At that time 1000 Of the
best warriors crossed the Bosphorus to
assist Emperor Botoniates in one Of the
petty wars which were then Of fire.
the century, however, the Turks had
made their name known throughout the
world, for they had reduced such coun-
tries as Bulgaria, Thessaly and Mace
donia, to subsection, and had become
rulers over all Of western Asia. In
1892 they turned their attention to Eu-
rope. In 1853 they captured Constan-
tnople. named after the Roman En-
peror Constantine. which has since
been their capital. From that day their
power was extended with rapidity. un-
til they threatened to gain mastery Of
the whole of Europe.
In 1925. however Solyman I suffered
his first serious defeat, and ever since
the glory of the empire has waned.
Step by step the Turks have been driv-
en- out of their European territories.
Upper Hungary and Pennsylvania were
abandoned as early as 1895. In 1859
they were expelled from Crimea, and
in 1906 the Russian frontier was fur
ther advanced. The success Of the
Greek war for independence cost them
that country. But the greater blow
struck to Turkey was the war Of 1876,
which cost the empire Bulgaria, Thes-
sally, Eastern Roumelia and a strip of
Armenia, as we'll as the entire inde-
pendence of Roumania, Montenegro
and Servia, and the loss Of administra-
ton over Bosnia, Herzegovina and Cy-
prus.
| .I--- 49, r,.s NL-~tx~J