Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-24

rtghful heire-fnaking twelve IN All, ana
including three OF his present majesty's
sons-before we come 10 the favorite son
Burhan ed Din, said TO be a pleasing youth
OF n, fond Of toys.
That he is his fathers choice is not
necessarily testimonial OF merit. but the
sheilxh- ul-islam-a kind Of ecclesiastical
commissioner to the sultan. with Just a
dash OF archbishop thrown in-ls said to
have declared ten Of the other twelve too
horribly debauched for succession. 1t does
not follow that their sins are more mon
strous than usual. What does~ follow IL
that the sheikh-ul-islam has become rich.
Riches often follow in this illogical way.
Lying there in the Golden Horn is the bat
tleship Mahsoudieh.
1t was built in England thlrty-three
years ago and after the Greek war new
engines and guns were ordered. Vickers
rendered for E24OOo The Italians ten
tered for etso,OOO and got It. pasha
built himself a beautiful palace to COM
memorate the event
There, too, lies the Aysar-i-Tewfik, a
still older ship, for whose rearmament
Vickers rendered e149,OO0 and the Italians
e246,OO0 in 1909. The Italians got II, but
ultimately, 1 believe, 1t passed to Kiel be-
cause the Italians refused $4,000 to a GER
tain pasha- A fortnight ago II came back,
after seven years, its armament incomplete,
but the full price paid.
Two steamers were wanted for the
Tigris. The English tender was e12,7OO
apiece, the Belgian tender R2s,0O0 and Bel
GUM got them.
Four torpedo boats have just been de-
llvered here from Germany after three
years delay. The German tender was
esOO0 apiece higher than the English.
For rearming eight old ships about 1907
Vickers' tender was e18,OOO less than
Krupp's, but Krupps was taken. For re-
armlng the field artillery with quick firing
guns no English tenders were admitted.
but Krupp's was taken, though s64O,0OC
above the next.
Each Of these transactions is a proof OF
our countrymen's want OF enterprise. but
each enabled some one at the court to look
forward to an honored and independent old
age.
Swallow a swordI" said the sultan TO a
juggler. why. my minister Of marine has
swallowed a battleshlpr'
The supply Of such riches chiefly comes
from the Germans now, as is we'll known
There are said to be 1000 Of them in the
city and all that is to be got by splendid
insults to officials they get.
| The influence OF their imperial commercial
| traveller who labors so hard for markets is
everywhere felt. This is his reward for re.
fusing to share In securing liberty for Crete
this for encouraging the sultan to let the
bloody chaos Of Macedonia continue; thi;
for setting up near st. Sophia a German
fountain that would make London Dor.
ough council shiver at its bideousness; this
for lending German officers to train and
organize the sultan's army.
Not that the army is trained and organ
lied Sine the Greek war II has beer
allowed to fall to pieces again. Beyond the
barrack square there is no drill.
No maneuvers are held. no shooting II
practised The men are not trusted ever
with blank cartridge. The artillery never
fires.
I'VE Turks are born soldiers" said gen
eral I'VE do not require drill and exer
cises"
When you have no drill and exercises 4
is very comforting TO be a born soldier.
1t is a city of farce. Nothing IL mad,
but Turkish delight. People live by buyint
and selling. They buy on credit and they
sell on hope. Every one sits waiting foi
pay. -L.,..
1t is a charming city. where no one work,
and all have time to be pleasant Amuse
ments do not exist. but its amusement 4
inexhaustible.
Sit In the customs house for four or fiv
hours, gradually paying 7 pence for
shilling packet from England You will
see almost the only place in the worl,
where proposed increase OF per cen
will mean a reduction OF Z per cent.
Sir Edward Grey fondly supposes that (,
Increase the import duty from to II will
give the treasury per cent for the relic
OF Macedonia, but perhaps he does no
realize that the present rate is really l
per cent. and no one can tell how man,
big and little people would lose by a rig
orous change.
Yes, 1t would be a city Of farce II tn
gloom of tragedy did not lie so close behin
it. 1 am not thinking only of the Bull
garians in Macedonia or OF the Armenian
by Lake Van.
The Turks themselves suffer almos
equally and with even less hope of redress
: For them Also life under the sultan has be
come almost uncomfortable, and the party @
reform or revolution constantly increases.
Perhaps we liberals have been insistin
too exclusively on separate reforms for tn
Christians alone. We must take the Turk
as well into our schemes, for It is tn
whole system OF a cruel and ludicrous mis-
government that must be purged. and tn
Christians will not be saved unless tn
Turks are included in the change.
AS II is. / have met devoted apostles {
Islam-or Pan-Islam. II you will-who, CON
ing to the city for the first time, hav
suffered the same kind of disillusions q
fervent Catholics have sometimes suffere
upon their first pilgrimage to the Holy Cit
of Rome. II. w. NEVINSON.
1raa0ttat-a ttrUrn a,,-A-,A,