The Washington herald., 1909-04-18
SOLDIERS HOLD KEY
Civil War Crisis in Turkey
Depends or Troops.
REPORTS ARE EXAGGERATED
Situation Alarms, with Good Reason,
but Tales OF 100000 Troops March
ing on Capital Are Absurd-DetaiIs
of Intrigue which Has Ended in
RevoIt-suspect Strategy OF sultan.

London. April 1.-THE truth about the
situation in Turkey lies concealed behind
the silent wires to Saioniki and Adria-
nople II rests with the great bodies OF
troops stationed at those points whether
the country viii be devastated by one Of
the most savage civil wars Of modern
times.
We hear circumstantial reports to-day
that 100000 men are marching on Con-
stantiRople. and that the first attack viii
be made tonight This is nonsense. It
would require nearly 4 month TO mass
such a body of troops within striking
distance Of the capital. even If the gov
eminent did nothing to prevent II and
the whole European army n the prov
inces were willing TO undertake such a
move.
It must be admitted that the crisis is
very alarming. and that considerable
bloodshed is more than probable. but this
is not likely to take the form Of pitched
battle in the streets Of COnstantinOple II
IS true that all power in Turkey now
rests in the hands Of the military. not
the officers, but the rank and file. The
peril Of such a situation is obvious when
# s remembered how ignorant. fanatical
and irresponsible is the Turkish soldier.
Intrigue Ends i'm Revolt.
In considering how this terrible power
is likely 10 be used 1t is necessary 10 ex-
anime anew the intrigues which made
last Tuesdays revolt possible and sue
cessful The troops which swept the gov
ernment from power are men Of identi-
cal sympathies with those who are now
expected TO march against them. They
supported Whole-heartedly The revolution
Of JUL. II is the committee OF union and
progress which has changed in personnel
and policy since then, not the soldiers
who put the committee in power
The new leaders, who. during their ex-
lie. became imbued with Western ideas.
made the fatal mistake Of not taking
due account Of the fundamental religious
fanaticism Of their cOuntrynen. and so
placed IN the hands Of their enemies the
weapon for their undoing. History has
repeated itself The extreme reactonists
and the extreme constitutionaiists COM
bined and made joint use OF the instru-
ment which alone could overthrow the
new regime.
Il IS repeatedly asserted that the Sui
tan was the master mind which created
the combination. and that Tuesdays re-
volt was but the first step in his plan
for regaining absolute power There may
be some truth in this. II is true. at all
events. that the plausible assertion that
the new authorities were undermining the
foundations OF the Moslem faith was quite
sufficient 10 inciJe wholesale mUtiny. and
so II viii always be with the Mohamme-
dan population. military or civilian.
MOsIem Faith Supreme.
1t is not that they love constitutional
liberty less, but that the Moslem faith Is
always the supreme consideration. Fur
thermore, It is men, not measures. which
count most with he Turkish soldiery
They have absolute confidence in Nazin
Pasba. the new commander Of the Con
stantinOplc garrison. who is an ardent
constitutionalist- He has II in bis power
10 make an agreement with the leaders
OF the committee .of union and progress
It SalCnilli, and the result would be the
complete unifcation Of the Constantinople
troops with the First and Third army
corps in support OF the constitution.
Civil war. when such an understanding
is so feasible seems absurd Reports
from COnstantinople already affirm that
suspicion is taking root among Tuesdays S
mutineers that they have been hum
bugged, and they are experiencing aver
sion IT being induced 20 play a political
role.