The Detroit times., 1909-05-21
TURK GOVERNMENT.
HAS BIC PROBLEM.
Unifcation of Various Factions No
Easy Task, Says R. H. Fyfe-For-
mer Sultan "A Dead One"

A serious problem confronts the
new government OF Turkey. in the
opinion OF X. III. Fyfe, who returned
"Wednesday from three months tour
OF the orient.
The religious superstitions OF the
people In different parts OF the coun-
try are very great. and much otter
ness exists between the various fac
lions" said he. For these aud other
reasons II will be almost impossible
tc reorganize the government in a
manner satisfactory To ALL
ION thing is certain, however, the
Young Turks will succeed In keeping
the old sultan. Abdul Hamid, down.
To use a colloquial expression, he is a
dead one. AS result OF his 33 years
misrule. the governments finances are
in most deplorable condition. and
this Is another of the serious problems
that confronts the new administration.
"A glaring example of the old sui
tan's way OF running things is afford
ed by the Turkish navy It's officers
outnumbered the officers OF the Eng
lish navy by more than a thousand,
and the army has been maintained on
the same basis This excess OF Of
flcials In every branch of government
was a great burden on the people and
there is no clamor for a return to the
old regime"
Mr.. and Mrs. frye spent Ave days
in Constantinople. leaving as soon
as possible after the battle between
the Young Turks and the sultan's
forces, which resulted in the surrender
OF the latter
We knew a clash was impending"
Mr.. Fyfe continued, 1t was In The
air. wherever one went. and for that
reason many people kept away from
the capital. but We had mapped out
our course and concluded 10 adhere TO
IL The military operations caused
considerable delay, however. Every
where We went In Turkey we saw
boats and trains filled with soldiers.
At times the regular trains were so
full of soldiers that we were unable
TO get on and had to wait for the next
one.
Driving one day at the Sweet Wa
te;s about eight miles from Constan-
tinople we suddenly found ourselves
right In the midst Of an army OF
Young Turks. They stopped our
horses and ordered us TO one side.
Then. while we waited, We saw the
army march on a garrison occupied by
the sultan's forces. and the latter sur
rendered without firing a gun. 1t look
ed almost like a cut-and-dried affair.
but we were not sorry they refralneu
from exchanging bullets. In that case,
we would have been in the thick or
the fight"
Mr.. Fyfe spent more than six weeks
in the Holy Land, and, while the trip
Is fraught with great interest. 1t also
means putting up with many hard
ships, he says.
ut all sounds very nice when you
read about 1t in the books and looks
very pretty in the pictures used to IL
lustrate the literature put out by pro-
moters OF these tours. but they Ion .
tell you anything about the difficulties
attending the jaunt.' he says. The
changes OF climate, very hot one day
and very cold the next, as one goes
from below sea level to above sea
level. Is very trying. And before the
end of the journey one gets enough or
camping out nights and riding on don
keys"
Mr.. Fyfe spent some time in Egypt,
studying the conditions under English
rule With reference to this subject.
he continued
while there is a feeling OF unrest
among the people as a mass. England
does not permit that feeling to get
the upper hand She rules with firm
hand and is giving the country, good,
honest. stable government. Under
English rule all kinds of business in
Egypt has increased tremendously
The country was never more prosper
Gus than IL Is today
Mr.. Fyfe's itinerary included Asia
Minor. Assyria and the Grecian arch
apelago and part Of Italy