Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-07
Mr.. Benjamin's Rejoinder to the
Critics of His Views.

| To the Editor of The Evening Star:
The letter of Mr.. Dolmage in last Satur-
DAVIS Star suggests that either he has not
| read my article on the Christians OF Turkey
| carefully or that he has deliberately ig-
| nored my explanatory statements. HE
| should in strictness have directed his crit
| icisms to Premier Balfour, whose illuml-
| mating observations on the present crisis IN
| the Turkish empire were partially quoted
| in and suggested my article. But while
| Balfour shows that he knows whereof he
| speaks as much cannot be said of Mr..
| Gladstone, to whose opinions on this sub
| ject Mr. Dolmage appeals. No one ques-
| lions that great StateSmans ability TO
| handle home rule and finance. But the line
| must be drawn there. He took little inter
est in foreign questions. including that OF
Great Britains Asiatlc possessions When
premier he very nearly lowered the Eng
lsh flag to second rank by his indffer-
ence to foreign affairs. What misfor-
tune this would have been to the world If
Mr.. Dolmage had been in the east at that
time he would have heard talk from Eng
lishmen about the grand old man that
would have opened his eyes 1t was Lord
Beaconsfeld who saved the situation at the
critical mement. Mr. Gladstone knew moth
ing about the heart of the eastern question.
because ignorant of the character of the
peoples who make up the Turkish empire.
To judge impartially about that one should
parative history. and above all should I'M
derstand oriental character, including that
of oriental Christians.
Whatever the value of my conclusions,
replying to Mr.. Dolmage's somewhat per-
sonal attack, may say that have passed
twenty-five years in the east, from Cape
Matapan to the heart Of Persia AS the
son of a missionary, and latterly In dfplo-
macy, my sympathies were at first entirely
with the Christians. But with maturing
experience and observation 1 have been led
to see both sides of this complicated ques-
ton, and to accept with reserve the op1n-
ions of outsiders who allow their sympa-
thies to run away with their reason. 1 fall
to see how any great cause can be ultimate
ly benefited by such a course. Furthermore,
Mr.. Gladstone, like most prejudiced minds.
was credulous. He would accept state
ments about the eastern question on evil
dence he would have scorned In other
causes. 1t is well known that his foreign
policy was Influenced by cunning Russian
agent retained in England by Russia ex-
pressly for that purpose.
If Mr. Dolmage will do me the favor to
read once more my statements about the
Armenian massacres he will find that he
has made me say. exactly the opposite or
what l did say. and that my statements
on other points as well are carefully con-
sidered and cannot be overthrown by mere
assertion and denunciation.
Take for example, my statements as to
liberation in Turkey, which Mr.. Dolmage
denies point blank. adding the preposterous
pire Is 1.-The result of heavy incesSant Euro
pean intervention" His statement is abso-
lutely contradcted by all the records Of
history One Of the first acts Of Mohammed
II after the fall of Constantinople was to
appoint a Greek patriarch. thereby off,
cially and Of his own accord recognizing the
continued existence and practice of the
Greek faith in his dominions. By no eff
fort of the imagination can one conceive of
such an act of liberation to have been pos
sibe in any Christian country at that pc
Rod, or that any Christian nation was then
sufficiently powerful to intervene or de-
mand religious liberation of the Turks
Whatever liberation was granted by the
Turks in those dark middle ages was given
spontaneously and exactly as have stated.
In the last century certain additional prlvi-
leges. far greater than any allowed by
some Christian nations to their own SUBJ
tects either then or now, were obtained
by the Intervention of the powers. That
Is all there is to Mr.. Dolmage's assertion.
At the present day in some Christian
lands the marriage of a Protestant and
Catholic by any but Catholic priest is
allowed to reside in Russia nor even to
pass the frontier in transit without
special order from st. Petersburg. I had
to carry a disagreeable case growing out
Of this regulation to Washington and ST.
Petersburg. But in Turkey missionaries of
every description have been permitted for
centuries. except the Jesuits, who were ex-
PEELED ages ago for the same reasons
Christian countries in turn. American mis-
sionaries have lived In Turkey for sew
enty-three years, and have established
schools, churches and colleges for both
sexes, although 1t must be admitted, with
the highest respect for their character and
motives, be 1t said. that their presence in
the empire does on the whole result as an
agitating influence. This fact should be
considered by the churches. In all these
seventy-three years but three individuals of
this extensive American community, in
Guiding the families. have suffered death
from violence, and then as private indi-
viduals and not as religionists. remark
able record
AS regards crimes against life In Turkey
in time of peace the annual average is
probably considerably less per capita
than in our own Wanted republic, and the
Greek population is responsible for much
of it. The annual average at Athens after
seventy-five years of liberty probably aver
ages more than in any other Christian
capital. AS to brfgandage. Mr.. Dolmage
has not observed how carefully I dscrim-
mated between predatory and organized
robbery.
The former is confined to communities
whose chief business Is agriculture, raising |
focks, weaving rugs and the like, robbery
being only an incident in their lives. Such |
people. as with our American Indians, are
age is confined to bands whose sole purpose
is to seize peaceable citizens and hold them
for ransom. When driven in a corner |
those who are not executed entirely dis |
perse. I know much about these gentry,
and have seen some of them hanging for /
their misdeeds This class of cut-throats |
are almost Invariably Christians, The