The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-01

The contempt with which most
Americans regard Turks and Turkey
is cordially returned by the Turks
themselves. The average Turkish
tradesman or farmer, or even the
minor government officials, consider
the American people a vague race of
barbarians who live beyond the sea. so
far away that it isn't worth any good
Mohammedan' while to go there. To
them the word American signifies
nothing. They call this country Yeni
Dunya, which means simply the new
est part of the world, the part last to
be made, and, therefore, the crudest.
There is a Bulgarian ex-army Off
Ger in New York who spent some
months in Turkish prison during the
recent troubles in Macedonia. He has
lived many years in this country, and
is now an American citizen. Last year
he Ventured to make a visit to Turkey
and was arrested as a spy. While in
various prisons he came in contact
| with all classes of Turks, criminals, as
well as political prisoners.
Down on Derby Hats.
Through all my Imprisonment" he
4, says, Il wore a derby hat Many of
my fellow prisoners had never seen a
| derby hat before but those who
knew more termed it the headgear of
the barbarian ghours.'
My derby hat started a conversa-
| ton on America one day An old
bashi-bazouk, who was in for stealing
from a fellow Mohammedan, asked one
day.
is it true that you have been marS
years among the barbarians in Yeni
Dunya? Do they really wear such
| black cook pots on their heads out
| there?'
II suppose you were glad to get
back to civilization again. said a de-
serter from the army. But tell us, how
do you get to this distant land where
they do so many strange things?"
You cross the sea, sailing many
| days, and on the other shore is the
Yeni Dunya,' l said.
Allah be praised! exclaimed the
old bashi-bazouk, who would go so far
to live among barbarians? But tell us,
when you appeared among them, they
came forth in great numbers, did they
| not, and gazed at you in wonder, to
! behold a stranger from the land of AL
lah? And their chief. their Sultan, what
| did he say to you"
II did not see their Sultan, nor
took they the least notice of me- 1 re-
| piled. They asked not even my name,
| and when l spoke they did not under
| stand me until l had learned their
| tongue
Call Us Barbarians.
But why. asked an Albanian muir
derer did you not speak to them in
| Turkish, instead of your own dia-
lect?'
a. In the Yeni Dunya they do not
understand Turkish. Were you to run
through the streets shouting in Turk
ish not one of them would know a word
of what you said
Not understand Turkish ex-
claimed several of my audience to-
gether. What barbarians! What
brutes!'
"'Are there many people in that
land?' asked the deserter, after he had
got his breath.
so many that there are enough to
people Turkey ten times. In some of
| their villages the Pasha could call out
an army larger than that of Abdul
| Hamid, and still there would be men
left to till the fields
| II saw at once l had been far from
| diplomatic. Several OF the guards
who had crowded in to hear the con-
versation scowled. and the mildest
looked sceptical. l was iniuring my
reputation for truthfulness. must re-
trieve myself.
But l continued, number is not
always quality. There came once to
this land a son of Islam, and his name
was Mustapha ben Yusuf And he
stood in the market place of their
! largest city, which is called Yeni