Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-04-23
a,iseellausous gsadins.
TURKEYS ARMED FANATICS.
The Soldiers Who Started the Latest
Revolution.

L
| Revolution.
| Constantinople, March 25.-lt used
to be necessary for Christian woman
here in the Ottoman capital to step on
the narrow sidewalk into the street
whenever she had to pass Turkish
soldier. II she did not give the Mo-
hammedan the right Of way he SEEM
ed to be bound by some barrack reg
ulation to go as far as he dared to-
ward throwing her on her face, and
1t happened daily that some luckiess
| Christian girl or old woman in quar-
| ter where no one dared to interfere
was showed headlong into the filthy
slush of the roadway.
| No matter how much room the wo-
man gave the soldier on the sidewalk
there was never enough for him to
pass without lunging his heavy should
der into her. Not a few women have
been injured for life by such assaults,
from which there seemed to be no re-
course. The native Christian, the sub
ject of the sultan, Of course had none,
while for the foreigner 1t was practi-
cally impossible to identify the often
der. It was therefore unsafe for
| Christian women to walk alone any
where but along the Grand Rue de
Pera-a filthy street, but the best Con-
stantinople affords-and even there
covert shoulder blows or pinches were
not infrequent.
Embassy or consular ladies gener-
ally drove, or II they went out afoot
they took with them kavass, an arm
ed protector, usually a Montenegro,
carrying in his hand stout stick and
in his waist belt prominently a huge
revolver.
For a European 1t is often most un-
pleasant to accompany lady on
walk through the streets Of Constan-
tinople, where fanaticism against in
fidels has been cultivated to degree
which does not exist in most parts OF
the country. This is the city which the
European countries want to take from
the Padisha; this Is the imperial city
| which held out longest against the
Moslem, which was the world capital,
the gem for which he paid river OF
blood; this is the city Of the Khalif.
When the sultan's authority was un-
challenged he made up his Constanti-
nople garrison Of the most fanatical
elements in his dominions, sending
every officer educated at the military
college to serve In Macedonia, Mesopo-
tamia or even the pest laden Yemen
and keeping here only old men, mad
with religious zeal and ignorant young
linen, promoted from the ranks.
The influence Of these soldiers, who
Eunlike regiments away from the cap
lital were well fed, we'll clad and well
cared for, told upon the population,
and even the hamals, or porters OF the
street, were rude to Christian women.
| II one understood their language there
was but one thing to do when walking
along the street with q lady-to close
ones ears, for unspeakable remarks
were directed at her. Even today the
lower class Moslem objects to yielding
an inch to let an unveiled woman pass.
Army officers and the better class
Turks are generally polite In this res
pect as we'll as in many others.
Whereas under the old regime officers
and most civilians dared not be seen
showing Difference to Christians and
generally bore themselves extensively
against their better inclinations. To-
day any man is at liberty even to as
sociate with nom Moslems, and many
young officers are seeking to be taken
into Christian families in order to
learn foreign languages and western
ways.
Things have not changed to a large
extent among the soldiers, as is indi-
Gated by the curious lessons which l
am told is being taught in the bar
racks. Privates are being informed
that for the moment absolute equality
must be given to infidels, especially to
foreigners. Of course the officers can
not tell the ignorant soldiers to for
get in a day what tradition has taught
for centuries, that infidels are but their
rayah, cattle.
The soldiers are made to think that
the courtesy now demanded for sub
ject races is due to pressure from Eu-
rope. the infidel world, which Is pow
erful and threatening. BY this decep-
ton the officers hope, it seems, to get
fair treatment started, and 1t Is no
ticeable everywhere how much room the
soldiers, especially the khaki clad men
from Salonica who launched the rev.
olution, give to women as well as men
along the streets.
Gross assaults are a thing Of the
past, for the punishment Of a non-com-
missioned officer and some men who
laid hands upon two American girls
soon after the Young Turks came to
power has had its effect. Neverthe-
less 1t Is still advisable for women to
give a wide berth to Albanians and
Arabs in zouave costumes and to kurds
in ordinary uniforms Of dark blue,
i
for these men are likely to be soldiers
of the Imperial Guard, who have their
barracks within a stones throw OF the
palace. The palace guard has no lik-
ing for the new movement, and several
times already sections Of 1t have caus-
ed smaller mutinies which have re-
suited in killings
Along the main streets, where they
are likely to be seen by officers who
are pledged to the new movement,
reactionary troopers are careful not
to be seen shouldering women, though
they make up for such compulsory
decency when they encounter Chris
tian woman in the suburbs or in un-
freuuented streets. An American lady
Of my acquaintance recently saw a
burly soldier cross one Of the few
broad sidewalks of the city and throw
young woman fiat upon her face in
the roadway simply because she was
Christian. A gentleman out with his
wife coming upon three Turks who