The Detroit times., 1909-04-17
$500 Christians
SLAIN; TR00PslaE
RUSHED T0sCEME
Sultan of Turkey Fears Powen WIN
Interfere and Orders Soldiers 70
Put Down Riots-Europeans
Clamor For warships.
Civil War Threatens in Turkey. and
Sultan Plans To Regain His
Dsspotio Power.

SONSI April 17.-xhD
sultan Is greatly disturbed over the r.
ports from Adana and Mersina. whers
$500 Christians are reported to have
peen massacred by the fanatical Mo-
nammedans. The sultan, fearing that
the slaughter will cause the powers 70
interfere, has ordered all available
| troops TO rush to the scene and puI
down the riots at any cost.
The Europeans In Asia Minor are
clamoring for the foreign powers to
hasten warships to the scene ag the
only means OF preventing a massacre
that VIII stand out as the darkest blot
nthe history OF this blood-stained
country.
| The slaughter OF the last two days
really began at Tarsus and 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 to Salonica and executed.
Another has him arriving safely In
Salonica. and Joining hts comrades.
The British consul at Adana and
Major Ooughty-Wylie, the British vice
consul at MersiDa. have been wounded
In the rloting that has ragged In this
section OF Asia Minor for the last ~
hours, according TO report that has
just reached here.
The latest reports say that $500
persons have been slain In Adana and
Mersina and that the massacre Of
and Is likely to sweep over all Asia
| Minor larga mart IF Adana haQ
been burned and the Mohammedan
fanatics are applying the torch la
other towns.
| Several English, German and Amer.
lean residents in Adana are among the
killed and wounded, 1t Is reported, bur
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 at Adana
are Mr.. and Mrs. VIM. Chambers, OF
'tUAk Park, H.. and the Misses Webb.
Wallis and Borel. 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 be obtained.
CONSTANTINOPLE. via Philipop.
polls, April 1.-THE dissolution OF
parliament-the first step in the Sui
tan's bold plan to regain mis- despotic
powers---is believed TO be imminent to-
| day IL has leaked out that the sultan
L nj. ha al
II not been that he was urged by the
priests and his numerous advisers TO
wait until conditions became more se =
tied. The only thing that can check
the ultimate dissolution OF parliament.
In the opinion of a majority or the
diplomats here. both Turkish and FOR
eign is the success of the movement
the Young Turks are now directing
against the sultan.
IL the Young Turks are successful,
they may save the constitution, out ~
will undoubtedly be at the expense OF
n civil war and the probable breaking
UP OF the empire.
Il developed today that the sultan.
seeing the inevitableness OF just sucn
a condition as has arisen recently dis-
tributed $250,000 among the priests
and several million dollars among the
hitherto unpaid soldiers In the Con-
stantinople garrison, which produced
a tremendous wave of popularity to-
ward the sultan. The sultan Is not
accused OF engineering the affair. but
he is generally given credit for being
shrewd enough TO anticipate IL and TO
do everything possible to turn 1t to
his own advantage.
The sultans brother Mehemmed
Rechad will be proclaimed sultan II
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 OF
Young Turks have been broken into
and the men OF the household slain
without a chance for their lives. II
is impossible TO state the number OF
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. II Is sup
posed that Fuad was slain by soldiers
who are violently opposed TO Edhem
Rasha as head OF the war ministry.
me soldiers asked for the appoint
ment OF Maxim Pasha at the time Ed
hem was named.