The new era., 1909-07-01
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in the Ottoman empire, writes Gen. H.
T. Sweeney of Indiana, ex-consul gen.
en- to Turkey. At different periods
he has been the grand vizier for more
than quarter of a century. AT pres
ent he is somewhat in the shadow,
having fallen between the upper and
the neither millstones of his strong de-
sire for improvement, which made him
until lately the champion of the
Young Turk party, and his intense 10y
atty to Abdul Hamid Khan, which
caused him to refuse to go far enough
to satisfy the desires of the Young
Turk party. He was born Hebrew,
but early in life embraced the Mo-
hammedan faith, and has ever since
been a most intense and ardent fol-
lower of the prophet. He was grand
vizier at the time l represented the
United States at the Ottoman porte,
and / regard him as one of the ablest
and most evenly balanced diplomats
with whom ever came in contact. He
seeks to have thorough knowledge of
all the countries of the world and
their varied customs. l came in con-
tact with him often, and frequently to
my own humiliation. A few illustra
tions will serve to show his wonder
full grasp of things.
While l was at Constantinople
young lady ian American missionary
was teaching school in an interior
town several hundred miles from the
capital Among other things, she
taught the little children the old
cnldfor Of % q
follower of the Lamb, and shall fear
to own his cause. or blush to speak
his name?" A policeman passing by
the school house heard it and he pro-
ceeded to adjourn that school, sending
the children home and informing the
tea aer that she could teach no long
er. Appeal was at once made to me
to try and secure the opening of the
school again. l visited the grand viz
Ter and laid the matter before him
and appealed to the capitulations
which granted rights to our mission
aries in the country, and protested
with due amount of cautious ve-
hemence against what l termed an
outrage upon American rights. The
grand vizier listened very patiently
and considerably and pondered the
matter for several minutes after had
concluded; he finally turned to me
with smile and remarked: Excel
lency, suppose our people should
send some Mohammedan missionaries
to the United States and gather your
little children into schools and teach
them to sing: Am soldier of the
crescent, a follower of the prophet?'
\ how would your people feel about it? ?"
x / saw that he had the better of me
automatically, and l had to go into
long dissertation concerning the di-
Il vorce of church and state in the
United States. and that the song she
chad taught the children to sing had
no political significance whatever, but
ll really felt that our people would not
submit to such proceeding on the
part of the Turks. l am glad to add,
however, that six weeks after, the
school was permitted to open and con-
tinue as before.
On another occasion l went to see
himVh behalf of an Armenian natural
iHed American citizen. This man had
sent Word to Mohammedan commu-
nifty that he was going to go over and
preach to them. They replied that
they were living in peace and har-
mony and enjoyed their faith in per-
feet unity, and they did not care to
have him visit them on such a mis-
sion, but he persisted and finally went
over and began to preach upon the
streets. They endured it for day
or two, but one night band of men
vent to his stopping place and took
him out into the darkness and wore
out several good sized switches upon
him, and told him to leave town and
never return. He Immediately ap-
pealed to me for help, and made my
protest to the grand vizier. He re-
,iplied in his usual suave manner: "Ex-
:, cellency, that is a wild, uncivilized
community. 1t is more than 1000
miles from Constantinople, and we
have but little authority over those
serude people. Can't you persuade your
=, citizen to stay away from such places,
and not disturb them, especially in
a'view of the fact that they do not wish
him to visit them?" thought would
tuse little of what we call Amer
!. lean bluff" and 80 replied: Excel
1ency is it possible that there is
:rbpot within the realms of Abdul
oHamid Khan, the lord of lords. the
prince Of princes, the king of kings,
land Is or 20 other imposing titles
+. which he assumed) where he is pow
,f1ess to protect human beings from
dolence and lawlessness?" The grand
hsier listened very carefully, and aft
r deliberate pause, replied: Ex-
Ssllencl III have read the history Of
,our country Alright. there is out in