Omaha daily bee., 1907-03-31


tress by informing the sultan that the other
thought him old and a bore For reward
the slave and the mistress exchanged
places.
only on rare occasions, Il is said, does
the grand Turk condescend to converse
with his favorites, among whom he passes
for a man of exceptional brilliancy. They
are nearly all uneducated in our sense Of
the word. or are very suPerhcially edu-
Gated, and believe implicitly that the sui
tan is the king Of kings, shadow of Allah,
overload Of two continents, compared with
whom all other rulers are as vasssls.
This, one must confess, directly contra
diets the impression given by certain ro-
manoers who have ostensibly torn the veil
from the oriental seraglio. But fancy Is
one thing and fact another.
For nearly eighteen months Il was my
fair fortune to be in daily companionshiH
with the three princes already mentioned,
and It soon became evident that Abdul
Hamid bore no special affection for his
children, other than Prince Ahmed Enendi,
now about 81, who Is not above the average
intellectually. Following the Turkish Gus
tom the heir presumptivo to the throne Is
not the eldest son, Selim- E,ffendi, but Prince
Rechad- Effendi, a brother Of the sultan.
A1D 10 INV obOAN W cars oAa anu n ASoAAg
Of excellent character and OF mere than
ordinary ability. He Is kept virtually
prisoner, being under constant surveillance
even when he is permitted to leave DOlma-
Bagtche, the most beautiful palace in Con-
stantinople and visit his estate at Machlalk.
AS the writer OF course never expects to
return to Constantinople, it is safe to say
that the Turkish people will acclaim with
relief, If not pleasure, the ascendency Of
Prince Reohad to the throne.
with or without reason Abdul Hamid
has an abiding distrust Of his presumptive
successor. His disapproval has been 80
thinly concealed that 1t is heartily reoipro-
Gated. Incidentally 1t may be added that,
besides Prince Rechad the Padishah has
three other brothers, Komaleddin, de-
crepit intriguer smitten with phthisis and
the Princes Vahideddin and suleiman, who
are kept down with the same iron hand.
In fact the Padishah of Turkey bears a
most amazing relation to those who, in the
natural order are eligible to succeed him
on the throne, and this paradoxical situa-
ton applies quite as positively to Prince
Selim his eldest son, as to Prince Rechad.
Several times, in fact, Abdul Hamid has
worked himself into a frenzy against Prince
selim, who has moro than once been in
danger of assassination, 1t is whispered
along the Bosporus.
AS may be imagined under such circum-
stances life with the imperial princes is a
sadly monotonous affair. Each has his
daire with his wives and small court and
none of them is seen frequently outside
the great park of Yildiz Their studies
have always been jealousy censored by.
the padishah who needless to say, has
never permitted them to read European
or American journals, nor, in fact, any
thing that could open their eyes to the
actual position Of Turkey in the present
concert Of nations.
AS result Russia, victim of archdes-
potism that it is, is ablaze with enlighten-
ment compared with Turkey under the
despotic padishah. Among the Ottoman
people there is no such thing as liberty
of the press every news item having for
years been carefully scrutinized by Nishan-
Effendi Seferisn, who died only the other
day. Officially known as translator to
his imperial majesty, he has been the
agent through whom the sultan has par
alyzed every free movement OF the Turkish
press, which today is a ridiculous travesty
Of Journalism.
That Prince Rechad will remedy this
and other evils which have 80 seriously
crippled progress in Turkey is practically
certain. His succession Will In conse-
quence. mark new era for the Ottoman
empire in many vital respects.
He is known, for instance. TO be In favor
of abolishing or at least Of reducing. the
evils of slavery among the women OF Tur-
key. Realizing as he does and has said
that the nations disposed TO hold their
women in bondage have quickly faded in
history. the prospective Ottoman sovereign
seems wiser In his generation than the
passing one-a sultan discredited. APP
plauded, feared. defended, thorn In the
side of civilization, whose withdrawal will
leave many rudy traces and very few re-
grets comparatively among his 100000 sub
jects.