The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1907-11-28
BRAVERY OF TURKS
NOT THE RESULT OF RELIGIOUS
INSPIRATION.
Writer In the Contemporary Review
Declares Indifference to Danger
Is a Purely Racial Char
acteristic with Them.

The bravery of the Turkish "Meh
med" (Tommy) is we'll known. Ac
cording to A. de Bilinsky in the Con
temporary Review, it proceeds from
the absolute Inconsistencies Of dan
ger. In it's blindness it 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 undoina
of his boot strings, which he will sit
down calmly and un%concernedly to put
right, OF the flight of a bird, which he
will follow in it's course, or a humor'
Gus incident which will set him laugh.
ing. 1t is a purely racial character.
istic. Contrary to what is generally
thought to be the case, religious in.
SEPARATION has little or nothing to do
with it.
Islamism only adds to the warlike
enthusiasm Of the Turk. 1t makes him
more eager, more strenuous, more IN.
terprising in battle with the inidel,
since death in such a case ecures to
him the transcendent rewards OF
martyrdom. But his fearlessness is
not greater when he is waging wal
against the latter than when he is
fighting his rebellious Albanian or
Arab coreligionist, which he is con,
stantly employed in doing by order 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.
ton 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. It 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 p~ain-produc.
Ing circumstances are concerned, pro,
ceeds in a great measure from %insensi.
biity. 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 a sans
gene which produces a 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-
ditions Of his military service have
become so intolerable that mutiny
has become a frequent occurrence in
the imperial army. Tie wonder is
that any discipline at all exists in it's
midst. The reliant and resourceful,
I 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.