The sun., 1909-06-27

ious movement, 30 mat moeiem fanatics
cannot with Justice soouse them Of hold
ing the rationaltstio views Of the French
revolutionaries and OF being bad Mussul.
mans. That the movement was national.
list and not Pan-Islamio was not thor.
oughly understood without the country,
but that 1t must have been 90 considered
In Turkey is shown by the fact that Chris.
tians dooked to its standard, which thes
would not have done had they believed
that 1t was only Mohammedan party.
The surprise at the success Of the Young
Turks stroke last July was not greater
than the surprise at their having main
tanned 30 long 80 thorough secret
organization. The world had heard OF
the Paris headquarters Of the party of
Ahmed Ria and few other leaders. but
1t had no idea Of its great extent and or.
ganized secret strength. Mr., Kni ght
points out that secrcoy was development
that the movement took on in Its propa-
ganda within the OTTOMAN Empire.
The Young Turks az party were first
heard Of about forty years ago, when a
group Of bright Constantinople men gave
expression through q paper called the
Hurrist to the needs Of reform In the
Turkish Government and unsparinRly
exposed the corruption. tnoapacity and
lack of patriotism Of the high officials
and advisers Of the Sultan. The Hurriet
was suppressed and Its editors and sup
porters were compelled to fee, to be fol-
lowed in after years by many others who
had dared TO express similar views. 1t
was group Of these e1iles at Geneva who
in 1891 formed themselves into an associa-
ton that afterward developed into the
famous @OttoEnan Committee Of Union
and Progress.' From the very first this
association grew. 1t moved its head
quarters to Paris and established branches
In all European capitals Although Abdul
Hamid was kept informed through his
spies Of the growth OF the movement he
believed that he could keep 1t out Of Tur-
key. In this he was mistaken, for In 1905
the committee transferred ito organiza-
ton to the Ottoman Empire itself and
made the final prepare lions for the attack
upon despotisn. selecting Macedonia %
the scene Of its initial operations. It
was here that the order Of complete o.
crecy was introduced. made necessary
by the Sultan's army Of spies.
The first sodety that was formed at
Salonica was modelled on Fresmasoury
and a considerable proportion Of ths
early associates were members Of tie
Salonica lodges. Il should bs sdded.
however. that the machinery Of Free
masonry was not directly employed 10
further the propaganda and that TIE
lodges took NO Official recognition Of the
political movement. The members were
all meu from the upper and middle classes
young officers Of the army, young civil
servants Of the different Government de-
partments, land owners. protessors. law
yers. doctors and some OF the uleunas. Ths
movement prospered. unexpected assist
ance from the army gave 1t strength. and
the leaders calculated that they would
make their great coup in the autumn Of
1909. The menace OF foreign interven-
ton. however. precipitated the revolt
The committee. even before It was pre-
pared for this step In its propaganda,
found that 1t must present its case to
the people. The man selected for this
mission. the first to raise the standard OF
revolution. was Niazi Bey. and the story
OF his wanderings through Macedonia
and Albania. explaining the purposes OF
the Young Turks. making converts to
their ideas and enlisting men in the cause,
Is the most interesting in the book:
In all save a very few Moslem villages visited
the Iedafs were received with extraordinary en-
thuSiAsm. and NiA1is task OF making the inhab-
itants sworn adherents Of the committee was
not difhcuit. He would call q meeting OF the
villagers or. having ATTENDED prayers In the
mosque with his band. he would there. after the
prayers were over, address those present with
stirring words. explaining 70 them the lofty aims
Of the movement whose soldier he now was.
The leading men would be called one by one TO
take the oath prescribed by the Committee Of
Union and Progress, and sfterwsrd the other
Inhabitants would come up eagerly TO be sworn
In. Among those who thus became sdhercuts
OF the committee were many deserscrs from the
army who had been hiding among their families.
The troops that were despatched from
Anatolia to overpower the disaheoted
Macedonian army had through the efforts
OF agents OF the Young Turk party been
inoculated with revolutionary doctrines
before they left Asia Minor. Some Of the
regiments on reaching Salonioa refused to
proceed to Monastir. The regiments that
started for that place had with them on
GERS who were initiates Of the secret %
ciety, disguised as sherbert sellers, mol
lahs and pedlers. 1t coon became clear
that the bulk Of the officers and soldiers
were in sympathy with the troops that
they had been sent to slaughter and that
they would never fire upon their comrades.
On reaching Monastir they all became ad-
herents Of the Young Turk party.
While the committee was waiting for
the Sultan to sTant the constitution there
was an interesting scene in the Yidiz.
Said Pasha and Ki9mil Pasha, who had
been summoned for consultation, urged
the necessity Of yielding but Abdul Hamid
seemed to be able to inspire as much fear
as ever in his advisers, and each Of these,
knowing Of what things that listening
old man was capable when in fit Of an
ger, was afraid to be the first to utter the
long forbidden name Constitution; and
the question was discussed In that am
biguous and oirouitous fashion that Orisn-
tails understand % we'll how to employ.
AT last there was brought into the ooun-
Gil chamber on a litter the bedridden
old Arab court astrologer Abdul Houda.
He boldly put into words what was In the
minds Of all. Then Said Pasha asked the
Ministers whether It was their decision
that the Sultan should be advised to grant
the constitution. To this they made no
reply, and averted their eyes when he