The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1907-11-16
BRAVERY OF TURKS
NOT THE RESULT OF RELIGIOUS
INSPIRATION.
Writer in the Contemporary Review
Declares indifference to Danger
10 = Purely Racial Char
acteristie with Them.

The bravery of the Turkish Meh-
ned" tTommy) is we'll known. Ac-
,ording TO A. de Bilinsky in the Con
temporary Review. 1t proceeds from
the absolute nnconsciousness OF dan
ger In its blindness IL is almost AMI
mal-like. but, precisely on that &C
count, knows no limits. Its nature is
best revealed by the attention the
Turkish soldier is capable OF giving
in the thick OF battle to trivial details
OF ordinary life, such as the undolng
of his boot strings, which he will sit
down calmly and unconcernedly to put
right. or the flight Of bird. which he
will follow in its course. or humor-
Gus incident which will set him laugh
ing II is a purely racial character
istic. Contrary 10 what is general,
thought to be the case, religious in
spiration has little or nothing to do
with it
Islamism only adds to the wariike
enthusiasm of the Turk. II makes Lin
more eager more strenuous. more en-
terprising in battle with the infidel.
since death in such case secures to
MIN lGt u VI
martyrdom But his fearlessness Is
not greater when he is waging war
against the latter than when he Is
fighting his rebellous Albanian or
Arab coreligionist. which he is con
stantly employed in doing by orde- OF
the sultan. He is as enduring as he is
brave, and as disciplined as he is en-
during. What he can put up with in
the way of hardships OF every descrip-
tion is far beyond the capacity of the
European soldier. not excluding the
Russian, who. however. might equal
the Turk in this connection were it
not for the drinking habit to which he
is a victim and from which the former
is absolutely free.
To find an exact parallel for the
power of the Turk to defy all forms of
suffering We must go to China and
Japan II does not detract in the least
from his merritt in this respect to say.
what is perfectly true in his case as in
that of the Chinese and japanese, that
his impassiveness where pain produc-
ing circumstances are concerned, pro
ceeds in a great measure from insensi-
bility. Ultimately this means the pos
session of an exceptionally healthy
and robust constitution; and health
and strength, which certainly are
among the inheritances of the Turk
are great virtues. The discipline OF the
Turk does not show in superficial mat
ters. He reserves his salute for full
blown generals and otherwise behaves
towards his superiors with sans
gene which produces bad impression
on those who are accustomed to con
meet obedience with a complicated dis
play of respect But his submissive
ness to those in command is quite
extraordinary. though under the pres
ent government of Turkey the con.
dtons of his military service have
become so intolerable that mutiny
has become a frequent occurrence in
the imperial army. The wonder is
that any discipline at all exists in its
midst. The reliant and resourceful.
[ should add that this last quality is
characteristic of all the inhabitants
Of Turkey. who. in the semibarbarous
condition of the courts, ars constantly
forced to exercise their wits with
great keenness to preserve their late
existence.