The Washington times., 1906-07-22
THOUGHT FOOTBALL
MEANT REVOLUTION
Turkish Spies Broke Up the
Club Formed to Boost
Sportin COnstantinople.
MIXED BALLS WITH BOMBS
Double Value of Word Caused Every
body to Be Pinched and Goods
Conhscated.

LONDON, July 21-It is difficult 70
associate football with the Turk, but
d correspondent Of the Sportsman IS
authority for the statement that not
only is soccer football popular IN the.
sultans dominion. but that the Turk
when permitted TO play. soon becomes
an expert. The correspondent says!
Time was. not so long ago. when the
young Turk. his new mania not having
as yet incurred the suspicious OF the
police, was free 10 kick and tackle with
the best Of them. Association football,
introduced by some Englishmen resi-
dent in COnstantinbple caught on
with vigor. The sturdy Turkish boy
took 10 the new pastime as a duck 10
water. and rapidly became proficient.
The game suited his temperament, and
he reveled in Il.
Dismal End.
Trouble began. however. when a
few leading spirits determined 10 form
a football club Of their own. A sufl-
cient membership was collected, goal
posts were bought or made, balls pro-
cured, the rules Of the game (printed
In Turdsh) distributed among the IN
tending players, Club colors were
CADnElls anu EDl llEE llaEa 4ttlAC IA u--
COrdanCe with them.
Launched thus in highly orthodox
fashion. one might have anticipated for
the new club a long and prosperous
career. II was doomed. however. TO a
speedy and a dismal end. Spies In Con
stantinople are as thick as flies in sum
mer. and II was not long before one
Of these worthless fixed his attention
h. Ia rf1ruf f~r.
Unobtrusively he watched and noted.
one can imagine that the doings OF the
supposed reyolutionaries must have
puzzled him somewhat, and IL is diffi-
cut 20 conceive how even the most
Jealous bigot could construe a game
Of soccer into a menace to the throne.
Smacked of Revolution.
The exact nature Of their program
was not clear. but the fact that they
possessed flags and badges distinctly
suggested a revolutionary organization.
There was clear evidence that meetings
were held at regular intervals, which
were attended by the whole band. and
these. ii was submitted. could hard
ly be for any other purpose than con-
spiracy.
Now the Turkish word for ball is
/ top an expression which has almost
as many variants Of meaning as its
English equivalent, but, in particular,
IS used as a general term for cannon
balls and other prOjectiles.
Imagine the CONSERVATION OF the Sui
tan when the matter was reported to
him. An organized band of young NAL
contents Craising their own flag. TOD
meeting for the purpose OF mysterious
Vaccinations with cannon balls and
bombs, Infamous a menace 10 the
throne which must be suppressed BY
measures swift and sure,
Every body Pinched.
When the police in Turkey move
they move silently but without delay
Within a few hours the president Of the
club, the officers, the players, and all
who could be suspected of completely in
IL were arrested. Premises were ran
sacked, and all chattels, including the
harmless and necessary leather
spheres eoniseated. Removed, too,
under escort; and the story IS told ia
/ Constantinople of half a dozen 'sOccsgs
balls carefully isolated and guarded by
! a squad Of soldiers with hxed bayonets!
{ For the luckless prisoners, however,
the affair was no laughing matter OF
what use such a ridiculous and feeble
explanation OF their conduct as that
they were playing a game? Banishment
/ foIIoved arrest and the football fields