The Washington herald., 1908-08-30
Most Arbitrary of Modern
Nations Is 0yerthrOWn.
SULTAN FORCED TO YIELD
People Accept New Order and For
get that Monarch Is Representa-
Upset Nation-SuItan a Charmed
FIgure-Envoys Shot Down.

liberal monarchies-
In the whole range Of the worlds gov
ernments none seemed farther removed
from the possibility Of difference to the
Will Of the people
Empowered by the doctrines Of the Mo-
hammedan religion. with supreme power I
over the people. further secured by their 4
ignorance and able by skillful mastery 4
Of diplomacy 10 play one European nation 4
against another. so that, no matter what /
the excess Of his brutality there never |
was a chance Of Intervention. the sultan I
had during his entire reign laughed at the /
progress OF modern thought and held /
viciousIy 70 every atom Of power.
Yet in one day this wonderful edihce Of /
reckless might. built on superstition and
centuries Of custom. Crumbled and fell
Young Turks Upset Nation.
II was unable 70 stand the first open
show Of force on the part Of the Young
Turkish party. that company Of the pa
triotism and progress Of the country
The campaign that ended in this blood
less revolution. whose success was so
couplete that II has astounded the world.
had laid the preliminary steps for their
campaign with most painstaking craft
First they set out 10 get an organization
with trusty men in every part Of the
kingdom
This accomplished. they Z out TO win
over the army. for If was recognized
from the first that this alone enabled
Abdul Hamid 70 pursue his rapacious way
unchecked
/ To the navy they paid 10 attention
whatever. for this branch of the military
/ service Of the Sultan means nothing
I There are some hundred adrniraIs incIud-
ed on the imperial pay roll but many
I OF these had never been aioat. and The
/ pr0peIIers OF the three battle ships that
make Up the feet are kept locked Up At
/ Yldiz The navy meant nothing Only
I the army needed 20 be won over 70 leave
/ the Sultan powerless-
/ The task was done with the most com
{ plete system Able men were picked out
! in every regiment. These presented the
call Of Young Turky. They detailed the
many wrongs perpetrated by the aUt0crat
and it was not hard 20 4.-=-z ~ impress
[ sion. for Abdul has nevei been a gener-
Gus or kindly master. even 10 his soldiers
Z and many Of these had suffered directly
or through their families from his many
unjust exactio-s-
Sultan n Charmed Figure.
The most difficult argument with which
the young orators were confronted n
their efforts 70 draw the soldiers from
their loyalty % the sultan vSs the in
grained superstition which he men
IN tire ranks regard the as the
direct representative on earth Of Ma
home5. and that % d.so5ey him is 10 earn
|-T
defy the viii Of the prophet OF the faith.
This was met by the patriots with re
citaI Of the many wrongs committed by
I Abdul. crimes that found no excuse IL
the teachings Of the Koran
I Then the soldiers agreed % exert pres
sure on the sultan. Il need be. but not 90
take him from lis throne until he had
ample opportunity 20 give the people the
constitution they demanded
When the struggle had been silently ad-
vanced % this point Maj. Niaz!er, in
command OF the revolutionisrs. was in
position u enforce his demands
Z This action came sooner than was ex-
pected. because os conditions which forced
H. The garrison at Nonastir. stirred by
the arguments Of the revolutiOnists, nau-
tinted 4 general in high favor with the
Sultan perpetrated some wrong that tv9
years ago would have been suffered with
out even a word Of complaint But actu-
ated by the new ideas. -he soldiers
promptly killed the general as q hint 70
the Sultan of what thei- future conduct
would be when wrongly dealt with.
They also confscared their arms and
| ammunition and all the cash al head
quarters ara made for the mountains
When Abdul heard OF the incident he
/ burst into a terrific TRADE, and ordered
TIE regiments Of Saloniki and Smyrna 70
go after the mutineers. and wips out
every member, taking no prisoners and
sparing none
suItan's EnvOyS shot Down.
Once this order would have been IN
hesitatingly obeyed, even though in the
, execution Of it men had stricken dowr
- their own brothers
: But the new bond OF devotion 10 the
ideal Of younger and better Turkey had
aroused brotherhood never before
known among these men They declined
. 10 move The enrsged Sultan sent picked
= officials from his palace force 10 go 70 the
scene Of the trouble and hnd out by
what authority they had dared ignore tbs
= imperial command
, For answer. the rebels promptly sho
down these officers
si All This had not been part Of the plar
! Of the revOlutlonists but Maj. Niazier
Z
4 TO hold OF might lead to the punishment
- of the soldiers, and thereby cost the con
= ddenee Of the others. and thus lose al
q that had been gained
e Therefore. he got in motion. To thu
= Sultan ne sent this bold message
Proclaim a constitution st once, or
viii march on Constantinople with 90o,e0
men"
1t was the only kind Of an agreemen
. that would avail with the crafty OLD
I criminal whose misdeeds have been tn
scandal Of Europe
Fortunately. the situation was not com
plicated by the injection OF any European
nation into the problem There was N
chance to play one power against another
and through the jealousy Of them all q
escape his duty.
This was purely a national affair. with
out a shade Of outside interest.
Abdul had 70 decide for himself
First. he drew into his confidence al
those viziers who have been his fellow
Iconspirators in Matching the many crime
against the people that have marked hi
entire reign
Sultan Yields to Force.
These advised a refusal, or at least
delay. The Sultan did try to temporize
hoping that something in the situation
IS might develop TO his advantage. Mean
time the Sultan's men tried the temper 0
the army to see what its attitude wouI
be in the final show. All the report
showed one thing impressively. The mill
tary was fiat against the Sultan and ah
solute for the people
eae5ne the sfrr1a tion Ntazfer darnanSas