The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-10-11
AUDIENCE WITH SULTAN FAILURE OF 4 FOREIGN DIPLO-
 MATIST'S MISSION.
Went to Obtain ArchbishOp's Consecra- tiOn Through Interpreter-Spent the Time Discussing the Question, Do English Women Drink Whiskeye

StanQarQ now ne once secured an auul- ence of his majesty and how he fared
 His object was to obtain the confir- mation of an already chosen archbish- op to a Macedonian see. For weeks he was thWarted by officials of the court, and then for more weeks by the Sul- tan himself, who professed to be too busy to see him. However, at last he was really received, and this is what happened;
 His majesty awaited me in a small but richly furnished room, He stood in the uniform of a Turkish colonel by low sofa, with his gloved left hand on the hilt of his sword. His rather long, melancholy countenance was cu- riously and subtly lighted by a sort of good humored latent smile. Even in his dark and usually sad eyes the same laughter seemed to lie In them one could read either suppressed merri- ment or irony. Probably he was fore casting the hUmor of the diplomatic transaction which was to follow, and enjoying it quietly!
 T sat exactly opposite the Sultan, fNA4p tOph tb plcANC tllCilC CAA SAAC 'SANN About a yard away on his left the ac- complished dragoman of the palace, Ibrahhn Bey, occupied q small chair, and on my left was my own dragoman. Looking me straight in the face, Abdul Hamid said couple of phrases in mu- sical Turkish, speaking very low. Ibrahim Bey bowed low made the Te- mena's and began to translate, This he did afresh each time the Sultan spoke, till, at the end of the audience, he was quite weary with the gymnas- tic exercises. He began thus:
 His Majesty commands me to say how much he regrets not having been able to receive you sooner. It was great annoyance to him. as he had a subject he particularly wished to dis cuss with you. His majesty is pleased to see you, and hopes that you are ready to enter upon the subject I re- piled that was deeply sensible of the honor conferred on me, the more so as my government had charged me to bring to the personal notice of his ma jesty question of some importance. I was especially delighted to find his majesty so readyto enter upon details.
 'The Sultan bent his head slightly toward me and murmured a few words with a sphinxlike smile. Before his majesty begins to talk about that mat ter he wishes to know how long you were accredited to the court of St. James
 This seemed a curious Introduction to the decision of the Archbishopric in Macedona question, but I replied that altogether I had been about seven years in London.
 Then you must be well acquainted with English society,"
 T replied that in my modest way thought knew something of the Eng fish,
 "'Very well! His majesty is most anxious to have your opinion on Eng fish women.
 'In spite of myself I cried out 'What?' and looked to my interpreter to see if Ibrahm Bey had translated alright. He nodded, and Ibrahim Bey repeated, His majesty would know what man like yourself, who is fa- miliar with English society, thinks of the ladies'
 They are good and pretty I an- swered briefly, wondering what the qualities of English women had to do with the case of my unconsecratedj bishop
 His majesty says that when he was in England he saw many beauti- full women opened my eyes wider and wider, and ventured to ask: Was his majesty ever in England?'
 Certainly; I and my elder brother, Murad, accompanied our uncle, Sultan Abdul Aziz-Heaven rest his soul-to England to visit Queen Victoria His majesty uttered these words scarcely above whisper, looking very seriously and sadly at the floor We were all silent for minute in deference to the recollections of his uncle and brother l awakened in his pious memory.
 Then, however, he broke into long speech, which Ibrahim rendered quick | ly into French.
 His fajesty says that a tall and | fine officer was attached to his suite a | very agreeable officer His majesty | fancies to have read or heard that this i same officer fell like brave soldier on the battlefield later. When we were in | England the officer ordered a bottle of l Scotch whiskey and soda water to be | placed on little table in the ante room and made speech to my brother l and me on the sovereign virtues of this | drink. He also tried to convince us that it was impossible that the Koran | should forbid it's use When he found | he could not persuade us he concluded | by trusting that though we did not partake ourselves we would not take it l ill if he did
 Evidently the Sultan understands | French perfectly, as fbrahim Bey had | no sooner ended the translation of one phrase than he began another, punctu- ating here and there with audible l laughter.
 His majesty says that the officer often repeated these tactics At last. | says his majesty, when my brother and l I saw bottle after bottle of Scotch | disappear we said to our selves, The officer is nice fellow and | a fine soldier; he is our friend, and we are his friends. We are not doing our | duty as friends if we don't tell him | that he drinks too much So we re- | with him. and what was | his answer? He gazed at us in Amaze ment and then burst out laughing. Is 1t possible that your Royal Highness think that I drink too much of this What would your Royal Highness say if you could see how