Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-28
POOLED THEIR ISSUES
Turkish Agitators at Geneva
Working in Harmony.
FOUR GENERAL GROUPS
About Three Hundred Refugees in the
City.
SULTAN SELECTS SUCCESSOR
Struggle Will Come When Latter At
tempts to Take Power-Event All
Depends Upon the Army.
ULTAN SELECTS SUCCESSOR
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald

| GENEVA, September ,, 1905
| The headquarters of the several organi-
| cations hostile to the Sultan of Turkey are
| in Geneva They have recently pooled
| their issues and changed their policy.
| There are four general organizations each
| of which has several branches and factions
| with considerable rivalry, jealousy and an
| tagonism. They are the following:
| First, the Wahabites are a sect of the
Mohammedan church, which denies the
title of the sultan and the present dynasty
| of the Ottoman empire to the caliphate or
| craftsmanship of the Mohammedan church.
| They declare that the present sultan Is an
| impostor; that his ancestors many CEN
turtles ago secured the caliphate by con-
quest in violation of all the teachings OF
the Koran and they refuse to recognize
his spiritual or ecclesiastical authority. The
chief strength of the Wahabite movement
is in Arabia where revolution breaks
out every few years against the spiritual
| and the temporal authority of the sultan.
These revolutions have been periooical LOT
more than a century, but accomplish moth
ing more than the slaughter OF the troops
that sent down to suppress them
The second organiZa ton in numbers and
strength is intended for the emancipation
of the Turkish province of Armenia, ana
it extends all over the world. 1t Is partlc-
ularly strong in the United States and in
England and, indeed wherever two or
more ArmenianS live there is a patriotic
organ:za ton. Their love for their country
is intense, but through the jealousy and
rivalry of leaders they are broken into
several factions
The third organization is for the purpose
of securing the freedom of Macedonia,
Turkish province lying along the Mediter-
ranean south Of Bulgaria, the native coun-
try of Alexander the Great, Cleopatra of
Egypt and various other famous characters
of ancient times.
tan powers is one of the most ptiful APP
peals for help and protection that was ever
uttered by human beings No people have
suffered more from persecution. The popu-
lation of that heroic country has been we'll
nigh exterminated by the bashi-bazouks
and other Turkish soldiers At present the
Macedonian committee. which has its
HEADQUARTERS at Sofia. the capital of Bull
garia and for years has been leading the
struggle for liberty, is resting from its la
bors for lack of funds primarily, and also
pending the trial of various reforms that
have been introduced there.
1.-The young Turkey party Is an organ
iZation intended to overthrow the despot-
ism and establish a liberal monarchy at
Constantinope; to abolish the present re-
gime and modernize the government 1t is
composed of the best people in Turkey,
the educated classes, the merchants the
men of affairs and all who desire the prog
ress and welfare of the people, for the
policy of the present government is to
crush out intelligence and prevent pros
perity because both are dangerous to deS-
pots. For obvious reasons the organiza-
ton must be secret and nobody knows
who belongs to it. There are a few lead
ers who are identified and most of them
are in Geneva.
The Turkish Refugees.
Altogether there are about three hundred
Turkish refugees in the city. including
about sixty students in the university,
most of them Armenians. The brother-in-
law of the sultan, the husband Of his old
est sister, was the recognized leader of the
young Turkey party until his death in
Paris a year or so ago, and suppose his
son, Sabaheddin. may be considered the
nominal If not the actual, leader of the
movement today. This nephew Of the sui
tan for a short time a student at
Robert College, the Presbyterian insttu-
to fly when his father was denounced as a
traitor. He and his brother came to
Geneva as students in the university and
continued their studies until last year,
when the younger prince gave up the
struggle and returned to Constantinope to
accept the pardon of his uncle, Abdul
He was literally starved out, and became
tired of living on crusts. He preferred
the fleshpots of the Yildiz Kiosk even with
the danger of losing his head, to liberty
with an empty stomach. His uncle re-
ceived him conditionally, and he is sup
posed to be under strict surveillance
The elder brother, Prince Sabaheddin, is
made of stronger stuff and is now living at
81 Rue de la Fontaine, Paris, where he
publishes a paper in the Turkish Ian
guage called Tarakki (Progress). 1t is de-
voted to recording the advancement of sci
ence for the benefit of his fellow country
men. and is quite widely circulated in
Turkey, where. it has not yet been de-
nounced revolutionary publication. 1t
contains no politics, but is devoted to edu-
cation. Sabaheddin made a good record at
the university here, and is said to be a
young man of high principles and a prom
Using future. He is constantly watched by
spies, and his head would be chopped off
instantly by his amiable uncle if he should
return to Turkey. The Armenian organi-
Zation publishes a paper here called lie
Drochak (Freedom). which is widely cir
cu1ated among the members of that race in
different parts of the world, and is dis
tributed secretly in Armenia by under
ground means The editors are XII. NAL
oumian and G. Vahrian, two of the most
active leaders of the Armenian movement
They have a pretty residence and garden
on the outskirts of Geneva, with print
ing Office of their own
Working in Harmony.
All of these organizations, which until
recently have shown more less rivalry,
are now working together and in harmony.