The sun., 1909-02-14
TURKS AMERICAN ADMIRAL
BUCkNAM PASHA'S RANK WON
Bi HIS HONESTY.
The First Christian to Have Command
OF Mohamm ctans- Made q hit by
Refusing TO salute Turkish Flas
Chances for American Business Men.


Refusing to salute Turkish Flas
Chances for American Business Men.
CoNsTANTINoPLE. Jan oS.--The Ameri-
can Embassy and the Consulate have re-
ceived inquiries in the past few months
from railway builders. shipbuilding COM
panies and concession hunters in the
! United States asking about conditions
and opportunities here, and several Amer
leans interested in one or more Of these
enterprises have already arrived. In view
Of this evident American interest in the
opening OF the country some new facts
on the subject are worth recording.
! For some years there will be no con-
tracts lot by Turkey for new ships Of war.
for while many OF the younger men OF
influence are ambitious TO see a great
| feet flying the Star and Crescent the
older men. in whose hands fortunately
the Government is left, realize that the
country IS not likely soon TO require a
navy. though the army must be ready
for any emergency
But the opportunities in other lines are
innumerable. Here is country 80 old
and so far behind that it is practically a
virgin field for engineers and capitalists.
China Is not less cut by railways or marked
with other western improvements.
Here in Constantinople are one and
three-quarter millions Of people within
radius Of ton miles from Gaata Tower
without electricity in any form and with
less than eight miles OF car tracks. An
American contractor representing a COM
bination Of various interests has recently
applied to the Turkish Department OF the
In,crior for the telephone rights of the
city and is at work on plans for several
street railways Another American here
talks of harnessing the water power in
the various rivers and streams about the
capital in order TO use it in electrical
projects which he. has in hand.
The Government has already drafted
projects for more than three thousand
miles of railways, the construction Of
which is desired at once. Almost all the
proposed lines are in Asia Minor, in the
richest regions of the empire.
1t is the Turks intention to give no
more absolute concessions to foreign
companies. which in every case hitherto
has tightened the grip Of some European
nation upon the land. They intend to
invite foreign capitalists to do work for
them. Competitive bids will be received
and the best accepted.
Though the railways will be held
by the foreign companies for number
of yearp as a guarantee for investments
and as a measure of compensation, every
thing will be from the beginning nomnally
in nth
ia for the present at any rate very much
that Of homestead building society.
The Turks desire to break away from
the tutclage of European countries; and
America. because she has no territorial
ambitions, is in an excellent position
to get in here financially. One difficulty.
for US is that the Turks idea Of civlizs-
ton does not include the 'nited States.
To them Paris, London and Berlin
a-o the greet cHpite's. whore ell thrt
is modern r-d EdyGGCed il 10 be found.
some Of the younger officers who hive
been tr~inod in German military schools
fcvor the adoption Of German methods
Hrd Gcrmrn Institutions. Those young
Turks who h"vc returned from exile
in Prris. on the other hard, hold the
opi-ion th~t French things are best.
II Is probable thGt French companies
will hrve the best chance here. because
the T'rnDCh IRE better known ard their
ca'r.;ry Of all the great Powers of Europe
il perh"jS the least suspected OF terri
tnri.i ambitions in this part of the orld
OF latc the sentiment in favor of England
H. all things. which displayed itself so
,t-ikingiy In the critical moments Of
recent months. seems to be undergoing
o. very mCterirl change.
The visit OF part Of the American round
tI. word feet to Turkish Writer'S could
the interests Of American investors.
Ton young Turkish officers. al Of them
men Of the rev movement, have left
Srpvrrc. with the feet for a visit to New
York, Washington aud probably other
American cities. These are picked men, f,
W hose reports Of what they see in America
" in have influence with the new Gov |
erument on their return
II was Bucknam Pasha, the American
Admiral in the Turkish service, who con- /.
ccived the idea of taking tie Turkish Off !
,cis to America and put the project |
through. The experiences of Bucknam /.
Pa-ha since 1906 when he became an |
officer IN the Ottoman navy, have been !
paralleled by macy an adventurous |
but Americans do not often |
possess that spirit which takes ncn into |
strange services in strange countries.
Capt, r. ID. Bucknam came 70 Constan- |
tinople in command of the Mediidia. a /
cruiser built for the Sultan's navy by |