The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-05-17
General Schefket Has Surprised
Europe By His Mastery
Of War Tactics
He is MAN OF MYSTERY
AND VERY. UNASSUMING
The General Does Not Want the Idea
to Prevail That He Is a Dictator
and He Confers Freely
With Others.

Constantinople, May 16-Mahmoud
Schefket Pasha, commander of the Turk
ish constitutional forces. both land and
sea, is the most frequently in the
thoughts of those observing or dealing
with the confused politics of the day
In Turkey. He is the one quiet figure
upon whom rests the preservation Of
order and the civil branches of the gov
ernment look to him to impose their lib
eral rule upon the empire and to deal
promptly with persons or factions dam
gerous to the state
The skill and celerity with which Cen
eral Schefkt brought the Third Army
corps and part of the Second Army corps
before Constantinople and occupied the
capital has amazed the foreign military
men here. Besides those attached to the
embassies, seven officers came from Ger
many and five British officers from Egypt
to observe the development of the cam
paign. They have not ceased to discuss
the details of the constitutionalists' S COM
mander's arrangements.
General Schefket has been soAaething
of man of mystery, which Impression
he has been taking trouble in recent days
to remove He has called in succession
during the past week upon every ambas-
sador and minister in Constantinople and
upon those Turkish subjects holding high
positions, such as the Greek patriarch
the vacant patriarchiate. He has talked
modestly upon political affairs and ethe
relation of the army to the government,
possibly with the Idea of checking the
spreading notion that he is virtually die
tator and he and parliament are near to
q rupture. Speaking on this subject to-
day General Schefket said.
''The army is merely an instrument of
civil power. The army and l as an offi-
Ger in it derive our authority to establish
order from the national assembly The
army is a finger of parliament ONLY and
works under the will of the cabinet
The general had an hours talk with
Hilmi Pasha, the grand vizier, yesterday
morning, after the conclusion of which
he said:
'"The grand vizier and I are in perfect
accord"
Later in the conversation he said: I'VE
have obstacles to overcome in our prog
resS toward free and stable institutions.
l have hope that we will rive above
them"
The disorders in Adana province, Gen
eral Schefket said, were In process of
solution. The court-martial there could
be trusted to make thorough investiga-
ton and provide adequate punishment for
the guilty. The agitation in the Fourth
Army corps at the headquarters in Erze-
oum had ceased, most of the mutineers
and deserters have been arrested. In
conclusion, General Schefket said:
1--WE desire very much to have the good
will, sympathy and moral support of the
Americans In the present movement to-
ward better government"
General Schefkets S whole day after
o'clock in the morning is allotted to mill
tary business. He is tall wide-shou-
dered, thin Arab of Bagdad, with some
Georgian blood. He is a man of ex-
treme composure, only his eyes shine like
those of an enthusiast.
Of fho ,larc of
tee." said Rauf Bey, one of three who
represented the Young Turks committee
in the navy before the advance ON Con-
stantinople, doubted whether General
Scheflxet was the man for the work ahead.
He was so still, so tranquil, SO silent:
but what he is; what energy;
what intellect; what dislnterested mo-
tives. To him the cause is everything;
he thinks nothing of himself"
The arrest of Prince Durham Eddin,
the fourth son of the deposed Sultan.
is confirmed. He will be interned in one
of the palaces here Nothing is known
Of the precise charge against him, but
he was under suspicion of being eimpl-
Gated in the mutiny on April 1S
Under 10000 Killed In Adana.
Adana, May 15.-The estimates of
from 20 900 to $4,000 Christians killed
by Mohammedans in the province of
revised. 1t is now ascertained that the
number can hardly reach more than
10000, possibly less. Thousands who
were supposed to have been killed in
the country districts have since come
in to some one of the large towns for
relief. Nearly $4,000 persons, however,
received assistance from the American.
French, German, Armenian relief COM
mittees.
Fugitives from the villages or set
Elements who first reached the large
towns after the massacres began, ex-
aggerated through their fears the ex-
tent of the slaughter.
Turkish Women Move Ont.
Constantinople May 16.-EiAhty wom-
en- from Abdul Hamids hareM, richly
dressed and yelled, were drivenNin car
riages today, under the escort of four
eunuchs and a troop of cavalry from
the Yildiz Kiosk to the ancient SeraglioN
palace, which has been unoccupied since
about 1924. Curious bystanders were 4
driven away from the exit of the
Yildiz palace by a guard of soldiers.
Following the carriages was a train
of wagons with baggage. The Yildiz
is being made ready for the admission
of the public. Most of the former
slaves have been freed.
Armenians Fired Upon.
Adana, Asiatic Turkey May 16-Two
hundred Armenans, who. started away
from here yesterday were fired on soon
after their departure from the city BY a
band of Moslems The Armenians re-
turned here panic stricken.
The military commissi ioners, how
6ver, gave assurances that the Armen-
4ns would be safeguarded and sent out
atrols through the country The police
e taking active measures to restore
fthe Armenians their unburned ouses
Stapt. William A. Marshall. command