The Detroit times., 1909-04-19
$500 CHRISTIANS
!. REPORTED SLAIN
Sultan Fears Powers Will Interfere
and Orders Troops Rushed To
Scene To Suppress Riots

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES .-fhc
sultan is greatly disturbed over the re
ports from Adana and Mersina, where
$500 Christians are reported 10 have
been massacred by the fanatical No
hammedans. The sultan. fearing that
the slaughter viii cause the powers d
interfere, has ordered all available
troops 10 rush To the scene and pun
down the riots al any cost.
The Europeans in Asia Minor are
clamoring for the foreign powers To
hasten warships To the scene as the
only means of preventing a massacre
that will stand out as the darkest blot
nthe history of this blood-stained
country.
The slaughter OF the last two days
really began at Tarsus aud has been
confined almost exclusively TO the
Christian Armenians.
Conflicting reports have reached
here regarding the fate OF Enver Bey.
the Young Turks leader. One says
that he was arrested while enroute
from Berlin 10 Salonica and executed.
Another has him arriving safely in
Salonica, and joining his comrades.
The British consul at Adana and
Major Ooughty-Wylie. the British vice
consul al Mersina. have been wounded
in the rioting that has ragged in this
section or Asia Minor for the last Is
hours. according TO report that has
just reached here.
The latest reports say that $500
persons have been slain I'm Adana and
Mersina and that the massacre OF
Christians is spreading 10 other towns
and Is likely To sweep over all Asia
Minor. A large part OF Adana has
been burned and the Mohammedan
fanatics are applying the torch Ia
other towns.
Several English, German and Amer
lean residents in Adana are among the
killed and wounded. IL is reported. but
no definite information is obtainable.
II has not yet been possible To learn
the names Of the two American mis-
sionaries who are reported TO have
been slain IN Adana. The report still
lacks Official confirmation.
The American missionaries az Adana
are Mr.. and Mrs. VIM. Chambers, OF
Oak Park, III, and the Misses Webb.
Wallis and Rorel. Ii is feared that
they have become victims OF the fam
atics.
So many wild stories are coming
from Adana and Mersina that il will
probably be several days before an
accurate statement OF conditions there
can De obtained.
ONSTANTINOPLE, via Philipop-
polls. April 1.-THE dissolution OF
parliament-the first step in the Sui
tan's bold plan to regain mis- despotic
powsrs-is believed 10 be imminent To-
day. IL has leaked out that the sultan
would already have taken this step had
IL not been that he was urged by the
priests and his numerous advisers 10
wait until conditions became more set
tied. The only thing that can checK
the ultimate dissolution OF parliament
i'm the opinion OF a majority OF the
diplomats here, both Turkish and TOT
eign is the success Of the movement
the Young Turks are now directing
against the sultan.
n the Young Turks are SUCCESSFUL,
they may save the constitution. Out II
will undoubtedly be at the expense OF
a civil war and the probable breaking
up Of the empire.
II developed today that the sultan
seeing the inevitableness OF just sucn
a condition as has arisen, recently dis
tributed S250.000 among the priests
and several million dollars among the
hitherto unpaid soldiers In the Con-
staptinople garrison. which produced
a tremendous wave OF popularity To-
ward the sultan. The sultan is not
accused OF engineering the analr, but
he is generally given credit for being
shrewd enough TO anticipate IL and TO
do everything possible To turn II 10
his own advantage.
The sultan's brother Mehemmed
Rechad will be proclaimed sultan IL
the Young Turks succeed In over
throwing the present regime. Rechad
is literally inclined and known to be
in complete sympathy with the Young
Turks aims. He is now in Constan-
tinople and his assassination would
not be a surprise.
Business in Constantinople contin-
ues at a standstill. Hundreds of prom
inent citizens have fed the country.
Soldiers OF the sultan are numbering
Young Turks wherever the latter are
found. In many cases the homes or
Young Turks have been broken into
and the men OF the household slain
without a chance for their lives. IL
is impossible to state the number or
such murders, as no report is made OF
them.
General Izzet Fuad, assistant min
lister OF war under the new bureau
chief, Edhem Pasha. was murdered
last evening. the news OF the crime not
being made public until today. No par.
ticulars have been learned. IL is sup
posed that Fuad was slain by soldiers,
who are violently opposed TO Edhem
Pasha as head OF the war ministry.
The soldiers asked for the appoint
ment of Nazim Pasha at the time Ed
hem was named.