Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-06-11
JARRED THE SULTAN.
Advice General Wallace is Said to
Have Given Abdul Hamid II.

| Advice General Wallace Is Said to
Have Given Abdul Hamid II.
When General Lew Wallace was the
American plenipotentiary in Constan-
tinople he saw Abdul Hamid III. ut
close qunrters-too close for comfort
really-but his involuntary inspection
was decidedly convincing as to the
sultan's timidity.
1t seems that from the day of his
presentation to the sultan the general
had grown in favor at the court and
was frequently commanded" to attend
merely from the personal liking of
Abdul Hamid for the American minis
ter and the enjoyment Of conversation
with him. In those days the sultan
was particularly vexed over affairs in
Egypt. He felt that Egypt was his
personal property. yet England had
taken the control Of the country out
of his hands entirely. She had hardly
said by your leave.' but had lad
vised" him that for the good of Egypt
he. Abdul Hamid H.. had better let
her and then had gone ahead.
He had accepted the advice because
he had nothing to say mo" with.
Without fleet what could any one
say to England? This forced acquies-
cence worried the sultan continuously
until he could not endure longer with
out madness. In his distress he sum
moned General Wallace and described
to him in detail his humiliating condi-
tion.
The general listened with friendly
sympathy. and the sultan, being re-
lieved in thus talking in confidence to
a man whom he knew to be sincere
and altogether free from selfish inter-
ests. asked the minister what he could
do under the circumstances. General
Wallace said that he appreciated the
trust and confidence of the sultan. but
that. being the representative official
ly of the United States Of America, he
could not advise the ruler Of another
country as to what steps that ruler
should take against third power. es-
pecially when, this third power was on
friendly terms with his own country.
The sultan acknowledged the cor
rectness of this position, but besought
the general to make an exception, say
ing that there was no other man In
the empire to whom he could go for
one single word of honest, disinterest-
ed advice. But the general repea ted
that he could not be false to his duty
as minister and envoy from his gov
| eminent.
Then said the sultan. "Tell me as a
private individual; tell me as friend"
This appeal touched General Wallace
deeply, and he said, las friend. then.
| and private citizen, will say this,
that We're in the position you have
described to ME should put myself
| at the head of my troops and fight to
the bitter end
| At these words the blood left the
sultan's face, and he fell to the floor
| in dead faint. He felt their truth,
and he knew, furthermore, that he
| lacked the strength of character, the
force, the will power. to carry out such
program.
What would have happened had the
sultan's heart been physically weak as
we'll is not easy to conjecture. AS 1t
was. General Wallace did not leave
the Yildiz kiosk until long after the
hour he had intended. and Abdul Ha-
mid III. never again sought contiden-
tial interview with the author of ben.
| Hur."-New York Press.