Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-01-18
mas ueen In the United States for about


streets without wells. They will soon
can women, and the change will mean
so much to them and their children.
The Turkish women of all religious
beliefs are fine women in every way.
They are ambitious, and they are anx-
iOus to be freed from many of the GUS
toms which have prevailed for centu-
ries. No one knows what all of these
changes mean to these women, but
within few years the world will rec
ognize the. fact that there has been
great change and one which will be
greatly to their advantage"
Mr.. Court has had an interesting
career. For years he has been one of
the Young Turks associates, band
Of ambitious and patriotic young men
who have labored at all times for the
freedom of their country.
SUntil now / have never spoken Of
it." said Mr.. Court. 81 didn't dare to
say much about it because of the feel
ing against the Young Turks ut home.
But today we rejoice. We have freed
our country. / tell you that there
never was any country like America.
tits paradise, the real home of free
dom. place where n man is man
and woman a woman, where human
kindness prevails, where all religious
beliefs are tolerated, where those Of
every faith work together for the COM
mon good. / don't believe you know.
you people who were born here, what
it is to be an American citizen. l am
proud Of this country. and love it as
| do my children and my wife.
"But my own home. my own Turk
ish country. is my first love. 1t is
grand country, with great possibilities.
For centuries we have been laboring
to cast off the yoke which held us
down. Today it has been cast aside.
We are no longer a country Of slaves,
but country of freemen. Ten years
from today you will not know Turkey
or its people. Japan has been the Won
der of the world. | believe that You
will recognize that Turkey is the mott
wonderfully progressive nation the
world has known in that time. She
will duplicate what Japan has done.
1.-THE Young Turks of the best fam
| lilies in Paris, Berlin. Vienna. New
York, everywhere. were working all
the time to make the people free. No
people on >earth ever fought as brave
ly or suffered as much for freedom as
have the Turks When the whole
story. as many of us know it. is writ
ten it will make all of the other strug-
giles for liberty pale into insignificance
beside it. Eighty thousand men. and
| good men. too, bright men. brave men.
noble men, sacrificed their lives for
their country.
"At home everything handicapped
| the man who tried to succeed. Over
| here it is different, and it will be diff
| ferent now in Turkey. Today they
| write me that business men are al
| ready beginning to branch out and in
| crease their business. There are coal
mines, gold and silver and copper in
| Syria and other parts of Turkey.
| These mines will now be opened up.
and the people at home will make
money. The Young Turks want a
large navy, a big army and a good
system or educatlon.
"The sultan, Abdul Hamid, means
right. He is all right now, think. l
like him now that he has granted to
our people their liberties.
you people over here know little of
the work it has been to bring about all
of these things.
81 remember when my brother came
back from America. where he had be-
come naturaliZed citizen. He stood
on the streets at home and said, You
people want to be free like the Amer.
leans
Hush; don't talk so loud men
would say to him: the soldiers will
kill you or drag you away to prison.
i "'They don't dare to- said my broth
err L am free. am an American
citizen. and I can say what l please
anywhere | like. That is what free
dom means. You can talk without
hiding behind the door or running
when you see soldier
1.-THE soldiers heard my brother tall
and scowled upon him. The old mel
,rambed for his safety. but he wasn't
afraid. Other Young Turks did tn
same thing. Men got together ah
talked it all over and read the paper
which were sent them and dreamed @
freedom. The Young Turks abroa
kept up the work. Like yeast 1t 500
began to leayen the whole country, G
the most Intelligent part of 1t. Thor
sands of dollars We're sent to help thi
cause along. l wouldn't dare now t
say how much or who sent 1t, but
was sent. Thousands. yes, millions G
dollars, as much as was needed, an
finally this magnificent Miazi .Bey d,
livered his ultimatum, and it had il
effect. and what seemed to be the in
possible was brought about withou
bloodshed
"You people don't appreciate what
meant to thousands of homeless wal
derers when the sultan opened parli;
ment the other day. 1t means life I
Turkey, an awakening of a giant tha
has been sleeping. Mark what te
you, ten years from today Turkey wi
| be making more raDid strides tina