The sun., 1908-09-14
THE NEW TURKEY.
Changed Conditions and Quasi-Aiiiennial
Scenes 40 Observed In Beirat.

scenes 10 observed In Betf9t.
II Is nothing new to remark that Turke,
In behind the times. In methods OF agricul
ture In customs OF commerce. In supersti
tions Of medicine and Of religion. In socia
intercourse, in mode Of dress and In thou
sind other ways Turkey to-day presents tt
| us the manner OF life OF a century ago-ol
the Middle Ages-or II may be In many In
stances OF early Bible times. Your true
Ara bic scribe Of to-day blots his vatery ink
with fine sand instead OF blottlng paper
remember seeing a sort OF pepper box ioi
sand that my great -grandfat ther used to
use In the. same way. To make formal
document authoritative the author, Gus
tomarily stamps II in ink with his own pr :
vate zeal, SO did the ancient Chsldee ns
and Egyptians. who have left their scara pA
and seal rings scattered about this land'
When wish to learn to write good Arabic
must first learn to make my pen myself
from dried reed: and as gaze on the little
pithed stick, sharpened and split at the end.
see the pen that was used when writing
Arst began.
But all these relies OF the past stand side
by side with tho productions OF the twenti-
eth century. Though the telephone has
been tabooed In Turkey. the phonosraph Is
ard saaeakin away in every coffee shor.
Ny bicycle D. held for curio In outlying
villages; yet IN Beirut are those who give
but a glance to a passing automobile. II
do not ca re to write my Arabic In the ancient
way i can get q beautiful Arabic type
writer such az is used by many OF the mer-
chants In Beirut.
In no way has Turkey held more with
the past than In It's form OF government py
absolute monarchy. All other countries OF
considerable size have yielded to the pres
sure for popular representation In the Gov
ernment. The Mikado has long had his
Parliament It is now two or three yeare
since the Empress Of China announced
one for China. The CEar's Duma seems
now established. The conflict Of the Shah
Of Persia with bis Parliament Is stili on.
The Sultan alone Of the great autocrats has
maintained bis power intact.
But here as with other archaic customs
OF Turkish life modern tendencies have
cTept In to range themselves alongside the
medinval despotism Of the throne. Thirty
two years ago the country did have Con-
stitution, and q good one. promulgated BY
o reform Viyier. MIdhat Pasha, one OF the
best men that Turkey has ever produced.
At that time there was a Parliament. COM
posed Of Christmas ss well as Moslems.
which was actually convened In Constanti-
nopie. 1t was In that Parliament that an
old Moslem sheikb called on to lead In
prayer offered In public the petition he was
accustomed to offer In private. that oil
infidels. JewS and Christians might be
brought to confusion. ierdly promising
outlook for unanimous lesisl,tion.
A few weeks suffced TO satisfy the Sultan
that reforms were undesirable. Parliament
was dismissed and sent home. the Constitu-
ton was suspended" ond midhet Pasha
died. presumably by robson. in exile. He
was one and the best known OF thousands
who have suffered m1rtyrdom for the cause
Of liberty in Turkey.
Following the suppression OF the re-
form movement o group OF men came into
power about the throne who, following
the precept OF MIR. Croker. were working
for their pockets all the time"
But even in Turkey times have changed
In the last thirty-two years. Education
has been widespread. emigrants have
been going and coming from America by
the tens Of thousands. railroads have been
opening mp the country, and commerce
and communica tion with Europe has been
close. Medieval methods have come to
be tolerated only where compulsion neces-
states It.
or the development and orga nization
Of the malcontents under the name OF
the Young Turk party j know little.
Their organization has been widespread
and apparently thorough.
Unoensored news from Consta ntinople
Is slow In getting to Beirut So on Sat
urday. July as. when the news came that
the old Constitution was revived and a
Parliament was to be elected, to almost
every one here Il came as a clap out OF q
clear sky. The people thought It over on
Sunday, and on Monday the city was
buzEins with the news and eager for more.
At first II was hard TO believe; 1t seemed
too good to be true-too easy. Censor
ship was taken of the newspapers at once.
and Journalism began to riot. The papers
published the Constitution. and II is
good one. Confrmatory kilograms kept
coming in from Constantinople and the
papers began to get out extras.
A Syrian extra ia not huge shest with
scare heads In huge capitals. Jt is
modest slip OF paper half in Arabic and
half in French; and so that you won't
read 1t for nothing and give It back to the
newsboy II comes done up In sealed
envelope. For three days the city
doubted and questioned then II started
In to celebrate In fashion that has never
been eaualled,
The whole ctv decorated to the limit,
Flags and bunting were strung up.
Branches OF palm and pride OF India were
arched across the streets. Rugs were
brought out SO that In some Of the bazaars
the streets were carpetsd. ShopIeepers
decorated their windows. In the evenings
fireworks and balloons were sent UP.
On Thursday night the cavalry barracks
kept open house and served coffee and
sweets to all comers Everywhere the best
Of good feeling prevailed.
The favorite word OF the inscriptions that
were displayed here and there among the
decorations was Liberty. and next to that
the most common was the watohword OF
the French Revolution. Liberty, equality.
fraternity Strange to say. the people
seemed to think almost as much Of the
fraternity as they did OF the new liberty.
A wonderful dem on stration began between
the Moslems and the Christians. This In
Beirut. whore five years ago the shops
were closed. Christians wore fleeing to the
mountains: Ever since that time and from
feud betws Moslemr and Christlans that
has resulted In frequent murders. This has
been carried on mainly by gang Of young
a gang OF Young Christian" toughs In an
other quarter. The old tribal law Of the
Arabs was followed u a man was killed
ono from the same, tribe as the murderer
!Eas shot in Rrswi the eIty was uneasy till
murdered Che city waited for news Of some
innocent Moslem victimlzed. But now
came the reconciliation. The young Mos
lem toughs marched In o body to the Chris
tian quarter. whore they met the Christian
ssns and eInbraced them. Then they In.
I.sa them dowp e dinner 2, II The centre Of
hall, tables were spread in the open and
following the custom of Syrian hosts the