The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-05-30
"A Pen Picture OF the Acute
Situation Of Turkish Empire

tonous race Of slav or Celt resulted In
the splendid offiorescence Of Greece,
Rome. Spain, France and the Italian
republics. While the fruits of the
contact with the barbarian from the
cold north were long in coming forth.
those OF the contact with orientals
came quickly TO maturity. The Moors.
OF course, brought their civilization
with them to Spain. but the latter felt
the vivifying touch at once. and al
though the spanish people, fortified by
Arab and Gothic blood. lived on In
spiendor for centuries. That blood
pulses feebly now. in the land Of the
Cid. In other words, the matrix of the
European race has eliminated and abb
sorbed the dominant breed.
Thus in the Balkan peninsula the
Siav has reasssrted himself. though
there IL enough virile blood left in Bull
garia and in Turkey to energize these
peoples to the performance of high
feats. In Bulgaria there has been
thrown up on the mountain sides
which OF the Hunnish and Germanic
stock, and this will tell In the future.
In Turkey in Europe the Turks are not
in q majority. But they still stand in
the relation OF aristocrats to the Slavs,
Just as the Germanic warrior blood did
and does to the nations among which
they settled after conquering. There
are enough Turks, however, OF the old
warrior kind to give the needed fllip
to the Slav. Indeed, It may be argued
that 1t is the Turk in the skin Of the
Greek or Bulgarian in Macedonia that
has fought SO desperately for freedom
from his oppressive brother. The ra-
cial factor wenld. indeed. disappear but
for the religious factor.
The whole Crux.
And herein at first sight seems the
III D.,4 "a
religious dificulty AFFECTS not only
Turkey in Europe. but the whole Bal
kan peninsula, II 1t can be conceived
that Exarchist and Patriarchist can
compose their differences, then the
Moslem may find a way to live In peace
with the Christian. The Moslem can
live. has lived, on good neighborly
terms with the infidel. While the prac-
tice OF his religion Is everything to the
follower of the Prophet, he Is indiffer-
ent as to what Christians and others
do. OF SO little Importance to him Is
the practice OF the Christian that after
the fall of Constantinople Mohammed
IL for political purposes conferred on
the Greek Orthodox Christians. through
their patriarch, remarkable clerical and
judicial privileges. At that time Or
thodox Greeks made common cause
with the Moslems against Rome. If
ture 1t will probably be the Christians
who will be found less tolerant than
the Moslem
way out Of these difficulties may
be found In autonomous institutions
for the various Municipalities. II the
Turk Is to lfvesin Europe something of
this kind seems inevitable, and thus
the constitution, which is the sign of
the spirit OF regeneration. may become
a veritabie instrument for its consum-
nation. But this does not take into
account the purpose Of at least one
power--Russia--to drive the Turk from
Europe and divide up his dominlons to
the best advantage. England, 1t is be-
lieved, can no longer guarantee the in
tegrity Of the Turk in Europe, and, II
1t Is to be maintained at all. 1t must
be done by Germany and her ally,
Austria. 1t is indeed true that the
position OF Turkey Is precarious and
dangerous.