Evening star., 1909-04-18

to bind disintegrate. Even the ruling
race of the Osmanlis Ii no longer In a
majority there and cannot continue to
hold sway indefinitely. But he adds,
the attempt was more than a mere ex-
pertinent: 1t was a pressing necessity
Among the proximate causes of the
Turkish revolution Of July. 1908. three
phenomena stand out in sharp relief and
afford seemingly adequate explanation
of the historic events of the past six
months. These are the continuous crum-
bling away in the hands of latter-day
sultans of the splendid patrimony OF the
Osmanli race. won and bequeathed by
such glorious warriors and empire-build-
ers as Mohammed II. Selim I and Sulei-
man II. The wantonness with which the
Woodworking population. Mohammedan
and Christian. was being ground to the
dust or goaded to violence by countless
petty tyrants, and the estrangement Of the
army. the sole support on which the sui
tan could trustfully lean. It was this
last act of senile despotism which only
folly could have prompted and fear car
r!ed out-a fitting consummation of all
the others. that brought matters to
head.
DR.. Dillon has written the foregoing
with more than ordinary appreciation OF
situation which may be
Unpaid equally applied to the
n.. present reaction and revo-
luton, The writer has
had occasion to say heretofore that the
situation in Macedonia was due to the
reckless estrangement of the army and
the failure of the government to either
clothe or pay its devoted soldiers. The
revolution at Saloniki. we know, was
due in great measure to the misery OF
unpaid troops. and that the committee of
union and progress - the Young Turk
party-ShOuld have committed the very
same sin of omission. that passeth all
understanding. For fact ii must be
written down as a case of pure fatality.
The oriental has some incomprehensible
aversion to pay the stipes of his soldiers.
This peculiar infirmity Is not Turkish. 1t
is oriental. 1t dates from Psametikos,
800 B. c., whose soldiers, 10000. at Phi
lac and vicinity, deserted because they had
been unpaid for a period of three years
The military revolt of Arabi Pasha, In its
inception. was because the Egyptian army
had been unpaid for nine months. 1t Is
manifest, therefore, that that which Psa-
metikos failed to do at Philae: that which
the Nubar ministry failed to do for Arab
Pasha at Cairo: that which Abdul Hamd
failed to do at Saloniki: that which the
committee of union and progress failed
to do at Constantinople. is purely and
simply case of ''kismet," or of fate.
Dr. Dillon. in the Contemporary Review.
gives us some idea of the principles of the
two parties in parliament which have
since engaged in deadly struggle for the
mastery.
The Young Turk party opposed home
rule because 1t involved enmity between
Christian and Moslem subjects. enmity
as a condition ana separation as a result.
The party opposed disorder. and corrup-
tion.
The liberal party was a party OF home
rule. and asserted that it was in fact
the real liberal party. while the party of
the Young Turks was little more than
phrase.
Recurring to what DR.. Dillon has said
of the complex race question in Turkey,
which he picturesquely terms mosaic
of nationalities, attention may be invited
to his declaration on that head. for the
undoing of the Young Turks appears 10
have been accomplished by the very ele
ments which DR.. Dillon declared were dis
integrating. He says:
* K
THE principle Of nationality. I fear,
will prove the bane of regenerate Turkey.
and there seems to be no
National remedy available. The
one point respecting
1AAneiPie. which all the nationali-
ties are united is the necessity of remain
ing disunited. The principle OF nationaii
ty must take precedence over parliapen-
tary government.
Doubtless all these contradictions may
be reconciled In the end. But 1 confess
/ cannot shake off my conviction that so
long as the principle of nationality con-
tinues to be worshiped, as it now Is.
there will be, can be, no Vigorous political
organism
Previous to the opening Of parliament
in Decorohar a o1octoA n
Arab, was addressed by Turkish dele
gate who expressed the hope that in the
parliament all members would throw
aside their local and racial distinctions
Throw aside our Arabic language in ia
vor Of the Turkish" he exclaimed.
Never" and the entire Arab deputation
cried ''Abiddan" (never) In unison.
THE Turks says DR.. Dillon. have
wrought a sequence of miracles during
the past few months and they have ac-
quired the right to be hopeful. One more
wonder, by far the most difficult OF all.
still remains to be performed the
change Of ethnic discord into harmony.
The angels In heaven are said to have
attempted similar but easier task and
failed. Will the Young Turks be more
successful?"
Accidents count for much in political
events. and just what accident may lend
direction to affairs in Turkey it is diff
ticult to forecast. Nor is 1t well to count
always upon the memory or gratitude OF
the people. Hilmi Pasfla, who was grand
vizier, and whose dismissal was demand
ed by the insurgents, was the sultan's
chief representative In Macedonia. He
had nothing to do with the action of the
committee of union and progress but
July %. 1903. that committee waited upon
him at Saloniki and demanded that on
the oath he must declare the constitu-
ticn. Hilmi replied that although his
sympathies were with the party, yet hold
ing his Office from the sultan. he could
not act upon the suggestion of the COM
mittee unless he received instructions
from the palace. The committee gave
him twenty-four hours in which to ar
range these instructions.
tk
On the oath Hilmi Pasha read to the
frenzied people OF Saloniki the constitu-
tion granted by the
UNEXPECTED unwilling sultan. Thus
Macedonia, the rock
DeseAoPlne'' upon which all Europe
believed the crazy ship of Ottoman en-
pire was destined to disintegrate. proved
to be on the contrary a haven of re-
pair.
The party of Young Turks which has
been overthTown, whatever the faults 1t
may have committed or whatever acts
1t has omitted, has nevertheless done
humanity and the state service.
bloodless revolution is miracle. II
gave the state a constitution which. since
July, 1905 has been accepted as token
of peace and good will among the men
of many religions and races that COM
pose Turkey in Europe. which erstwhile
was a much divided house.