New-York tribune., 1906-11-25
Some Lively Pictures O
Life in the Ancient
Turkish City.

,rlv accepted percentage of spies among the
.,,latton is simply incredible. The objects In
,en's mind when he enrolls himself as a
,,her Of this detestable profession are two
a-s+ as an unprotected subject OF the Sultan
'D o-on+ea himself as far as he can from the
..nos,t,ons" of others and second, of course.
che necuniary interest. 1t is easy TO con-
-, this class but often they are obliged to
~. .he bread of infamy and take the wages
hsrne" and have only the alternative of
.re-4ng themselves and bringing ruin upon
heir families.
The spies Of Stamboul are more efficient as
,,onnels Of transmission than as medium
- .,a reception Of news. It is said that daily
,,, of men is sent forth from the palace to
sro+e whatever rumor seems at the mo-
p. most desirable BY these means the Porte
Nc 10 produce any impression 1t wishes upon
,,rasucated Moslem OF Stamboul. The Ar
/ .-isn n1assacres were foreseen long before they
- r,ace. but their methodical preparation
~. -veceded the preparation OF the slaughter
| - some eight hours
| -.oo,+lv when the allied fleets proceeded by
| .,-.uo,a Yildiz industriously spread the report
| - ,bsre was trouble in the island, and that
~ SrItan's request the friendly powers had
ss--aken 10 quell the disturbances on his be-
,s as their boats were the nearest at hand.
shseouently. of course. in spite of all precau-
L. the truth or portion of ii filters
..rourb Some time afterward a Turk asked
70 What had really happened, and said that
.. me moment they had been expecting the
vord 10 attack the Christians. questioned him
,s - whether they would have obeyed such an
or6er Certainly" he said.
The extent TO which espionage exists in SIAM
bon, * seen in many ways. It has, for instance.
r,,aa an q friends
with Turks while travelling, only. however. to
.,5 the acquaintance abruptly at Constanti-
,o,le for il is hardly ever that a Mussulman
dare invite or accept an invitation from for
sgner either % the public restaurant or the
1 -3ra-,- of his own house. StambouI is canlered
,-or end 10 end with suspicion. There is
| rarely any society among the dominant race.
/ srd # is no exaggeration TO say that the city
/ rrss under the shadow Of reign Of terror.
| This system by which reports are whispered
| into the public is efficient by reason OF the
general ignorance. and it IS also supported by
marv allied methods. No public congregation
| ~ people is allowed. except at certain seasons
| for the Kara Geuz Cblack eyes. a Turkish form
/ q theatre. Wrestling matches are strictly pro-
fhited. as IN fact, is every meeting which
tercs 70 facilitate the INSTRUMENTATION of
/ thought The idea Of being able to write
10 each other at all hours the thoughts of their
| head" appeared Unbearable to the Porte, to-
| day there Is 10 Turkish post in the metropolis
| So averse was the government to the idea Of
| the assassination Of kings becoming familiar TO
| the Inhabitants of Turkey. that when King
| Hum6ert was shot at Milan the Turkish papers
In their obituary merely mentioned that he had
| died NhIa driving. saIuting MS people'l
| day n Turkey, or less, may give visitor
| the key to the coUntry-fatalism.
| II servant IS late, "kismet" is not his excuse
! but his Justification. and soon the most logical
Of foreigners is content to accept a syIlogism
with fallacies IN the major and minor premises
he may answer it in the same terms-e. e.:
Achmet "a servant)-Behold. the Effendi COM
randed my attendance two hours earlier.
EFendi-I did
Achmet-BehoId. 1t was willed that the
steamer should depart punctually from The
rsDa awaited the next. Ishte Kismet Be
| hold It IS fate,
/ Three days later-payday.
EEendi-Achmet. thy wages are four liras.
Here are but three and 4 half. It is fate!
Aehrnet-Behold,!i
/ Ndomestic problems arise and are settled by,
G arbitrator from whom there is no appeal. for
R1sr or worse but at least with little com
zsm
friend Of mine who held land in Turkey
c's related to me how. riding across his prop
/ tE he saw peasant sowing seed upon rocky
/ ~ he pointed out TO the agriculturist that he
/ a4 wasting labor and money. but was silenced
| y NE reply. If God Almighty can make the
san grow IN the soil, cannot He also make II
ttVg N the rOck?" Il is q sombre theology with
~ hng shadows Of sunset which victfmizes
s.lts, & torpor very different from the brilliant
| s]-sIn of the japanese, though the two are
-, lkened TO each other. The fatalism of the
- Fast Is fatalisn, but in the sunshine; and
L. omeTence between the japanese and the
- 's l-at while the former does not care for
- tLe latter does not care for life-a diff
~s3oe which serves 20 make both die with
/ - courage but until death comes affects the
Il 81 ~ NI4lcn they live very differently
Il seiahgui by night and Stamboul by day are
H., very Clnerent places. The regulation which
H., upon all who walk the streets carrying a
r. > HoL enforced very strictly here. in
L -sr towns, where II IS considered wise pre-
Ion as who intent upon robbery or mischief
Lslio advertise himself with a lantern? II Ia
L AeH-- to realize, as one walks through the
~oI-. lll-Ht streets Of Pera, that il IS savage
- t''o miles away The slums OF GaIata
K however. worse, since in them is found not
X harbarism Of Stamboul. but the Lowest and
- Gregs OF clVlizatlon In the big street
rsIel to the quay there IS the usual. fam
Pant wee intended TO attract sailors. Poly
T. mesaphones Shrek, Greek and Jewish
/ men sing and dance. and the impression Is
II of common. though unusually uauseating
|TaFltE But 10 plunge into any Of the side
trys INTO the quiet and darkness. brings one
r. d different and a secret atmosphere. Men
n .+ '4H'7iS- +li4h ll4ltGEN LatlceS 1ur1lNely
- Nolish races peer out, grotesquely
Tat4ed by the dim light Of the room and hands
1 A9h stcalthIly. If the air is quiet there is
titQInes the perfume Of haShish. for # is
tlely IN these streets that the drug IS con-
Eled. Haslish smoking is thing by itself: it |
lIlns It's Votaries entirely, and they give them
- up 10 a leaden-eyed cOntentnent pIacdly |
tJorlng all other pleasures Out Of curiosity |
| lNl9i'eI hashish deus with friends more than |
We We're chiefly struck by the intense |
lss'NtSS oI he smokers at first 10 obtain the
" hen there IS question Of prior right this |
EoSIoilalIy Ieads 20 trouble. Their energy soon |
Il'I4t'+S ana their desire once satisfied il IS |
- L. l