The sun., 1908-12-20
YOUNG TURKEYS NEW PLANS
DNE 4 BIG IRRIGATION PROF
ECT TO RECLAIM VAST ACREAGE.

slk William WillcOcks to Take ChaFge
According to Recently Arrived
: fpokesman-Chief Lack Is None,
--Hope 70 Get Some From the sultan
salim q. Tabet, the conductor OF Tablets
tours through the Orient, with offices al
sse Fifth avenue, who has recently ar
rived from Turkey, told last night Of a
project now being put through by the
Young Turkish party to irrigate the
valley OF the Tigris and Euphrates. Sir
William Willcocks. who built the Assouan
I Dam, has been engaged to look over the
around. He started from Cairo last
tl1onth and upon arriving at Alexandretta
set out at once for AlAppo, whence he
proceeded to Bagdsd. He is now making
hat city his headquarters while exploring
lie country
He has with him a large part of the
4ofce of engineers that worked under
him At the building Of the Assouan Dam,
and all are now engaged in study Of the
Immense territory which it is the hope of
t1e present Turkish Government to re-
claim. His report will be made probebly
IN three or four months. The matter will
then be brought before the Turkish
Parliament, which Is expected to vote
IN appropriation to carry the proposed
improvements into effect.
Experts have figured, said Mr.. Tsbet,
that with a plentiful supply of water
d tract Of land can be put under culti-
yation which will exceed the mileage Of
the Nile Valley by more than five times.
Moreover. IL Is not anticipated that
the projected irrigation scheme will be
one Of great difiiculty. The old Assyrian
bitches and ducts are there still, ii ap-
bears, and all that Is now necessary is
4 sufficient force Of workmen to reopen
them and few additional connecting
canals II ls the intention Of the engi-
neefa to take advantage Of the difference
ia elevation between the two rivers by
making sort Of lock system of irrigation.
Mr.. Tabet told also Of some reforms and
ttonomies that have been effected by the
Young Turkish party since they have been
II power. Thus the force Of doctors
by the Sultan has been cut
siown from $50 to 8, while the aide-de
camps In attendance upon him have
from between 100 and 500 to 20.
Mr.. Tabet told of an interview that he
bad had with Fuad Pasha, once marshal
of the palace. Fuad Pasha was the plain
stokcn Official who once asked the Sultan
- the latter was laughing al the tricks
II 3 sword swallower:
why laugh at this legerdemain, sire?
aere'--p pointing to the Minister Of Marine
-1~iea greater juggler by far. He can swal-
|oW whole battleships."
After that Fuad Pasha was followed
sverywhere by spies. until at last in OK
1bperation he shot and killed two OF them.
The Sultan, 1t appears, would have exc
,ul4d him for that, except for the fact |
hat Fuad had received Russian medal |
u the first class. one Of the prerogatives |
n which was that 1t placed the wearer !
ihdcr the protection Of the Russian Gov
AfnEnent for life. Accordingly Fuad was
AIKEN by special bsttleship into exile |
{ Beirut, whence he was removed to
} private house surrounded by high
board fence, so that for seven years he
16d no communication whatsoever with
The outside world. Fuad Pasha was freed
,nly after the successful outcome of the
sat Turkish revolution.
He said TO Mr.. Tabet: There is to be
10 progress or stable government, either
;elgium. or of a self-governing nature
'uch as that of England. unless all races
4 tie empire are to be equally treated in
he distribution OF the highest civil and
Military positions.
= BE Is precisely what the Young
turks are trying TO bring about, and the
ri1oess Of their endeavors. Mr.. Tabet
act that just before he left he attended
dinner at which $50 officers Of the Tur-
deb army, all Mohanmedans, were the
Itnorary guests Of the Christian citisenry
Already. said Mr.. Tabet. two liberal
lafties have sprung up in the Turkish
Impire. One is the Ottoman Union and
Progress party, known more Familiarity
" It's older name Of the Young Turkish
,tfty. and the other is the party named
liter it's founder. Prince Sabah- din.
he difference between the parties is
hat while the followers Of the Prince,
1he, 10 a son Of the Sultan's sister, want
tate In the empire, the Young Turks
'elisve in a strong central government.
10Th are. however. united on the issue
hat the form OF government shall be
just at present the Young
turks seem to be losing ground
fhe1greatest handicap the Government
] now sufering from is the lack OF funds,
H. dDJt cttfu ~ 10 ChpOCtou. uONONeT, |
hat the present deficit Of es,O0o, 900 an
ualIy can be reduced materially by the
holshment Of the spy system, which
iks an expense under the Sultans regime
bat ranked next to the army alone.
borrower, as another way Of getting
esdy money the Young Turks hope
D bully some Of the Sultan's savings
way from him. Abdul Hamid's for
me 10 estimated at 1000, 600 OF this
ha Young Turks have, it Is said. traced
20 ,00o. 900 to a deposit vault in the Bank
France, Tho rest 10 represented by
Ac value Of the royal domains and by
6pcsits In other foreign banks, which
be Young Turks have not as yet been
bla 10 trace. So far all the Constitu-
|onhlists have been able to get from
10 Sultan is a tract Of land valued at
q 500. coo, against which bonds have
lre4tfy bean issued.
Chisf among the privileges which the
'oung Turks have granted to the Chris
ans, Mr. Tabet said was the right of ,
caring arms in the defence OF the en- I
Ire. Under the old regime IL, sesms ,
1Ae Christians were always regarded '
potential rebels and we're never trusted
ifh weapons. Instead OF service in the &
fnay the Sultan bad boen in the custom 6
e1acting certain amount OF money {
! lea OF military service.
TANDARD OIL PROSECUTION.
letrucfiOns From Mr. Hon nm re IN the