New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-08-14
CONDITION OF TURKEY
Views of Diplomatist On Work
ing of Constitution.
Paris, August 2.

An eminent European statesman ana
diplomatist, whose knowledge OF Turkey
and the Turks is based upon personal
experience of more than thirty years,
who Is familiar with the Turkish Ian
guage, but whose name your CORE
spondent Is not authorized to disclose,
has just returned to Paris from Constan-
tinople, after a three months trip
through the Ottoman Empire. having
visited Jaffa. Beirut, Damascus and Baal-
bek then skirted the Syrian coast. touch
ing at all the small ports, stopped at
Adana. Tarsus and Smyrna and made
excursions to Bergama and Broussa- The
person in question made this journey
with the object of studying the working
of the new regime. and the aspect Of af-
fairs under it. His opportunities for OBJ
tanning accurate information are IN
rivalled. and the results of his observa-
tons. at your correspondents request,
are herewith given for the readers of
The New-York Tribune.
From all 1 heard and saw" he said.
there is not much real union or accord
between Arabs and Turks. The former
are all for decentralization and the es-
Establishment of government upon the
principles of advanced Liberalism, while
the latter are for the maintenance of a
strong central authority, which they
deem absolutely necessary to hold the
empire together. At the back of the
Arabian and Syrian minds Is undoubted-
Iy home rule for Arabia and Syria,
with a nebulous dream of possible
Arabian empire in the near future
Il rather incline to the view of the
Turks in respect. to Capitalization. but
unfortuna tely for the carrying out or
their policy the leaders of the so-called
reform party Union and Progress) have
alone they could hope to build up an
authority of sufficient strength to with
stand the assaults upon IL from the dis
migrating forces OF national asplra-
tons. The reform party has emascu-
lated the 'SuItanate' and also the Cali
phate It is difficult to see how in the
Moslem mind dummy puppet, stripped
of all temporal power, can be a real
Caliph and Defender of the Faith
In the place of the autocratic admin
istration, by which alone order can be
maintained throughout an empire made
up of such utterly discordant elements
as are to be found In Turkey, there Is a
vast heterogeneous parliament, which
strives TO rule as we'll as TO legislate, but
which, in spite Of good intentions. I'M
avoida bly, hampers in every way the ex-
ecutive function of the ministers. This
parliament is, moreover. controlled by a
party the real strength Of which lies
outside of that assembly and Is itself di-
rected by an unknown and. Of course,
irresponsible, committee
Il wish to do full justice to the re-
formers They mean we'll Their desire
there are two great difficulties In their
path The first is the dearth OF honest,
ca pabIe officiaIs-men of sufficient ex-
perience and good record. The second
difficulty is of their own creation; it is
the existence in their own ranks of great
were formerly servile tools of the big
wigs of the old regime. and who were
too obscure to have had their names in
the mouths of the people as instruments
of oppression and abuse.
These INSCRIPTIONS adventures, i'm
TO curry favor with the Young Turks by
posing as unwilling agents of the higher
powers now swept away, and were loud
in their denunciations of the dethroned
Sultan Abdul Hamid. BY means of gifts
of money for the good cause they were
welcomed in the ranks of the new order
of functionaries and employees as re-
pentant sinners Many of these men
have now become the SO-called protec
tors and guardians of the constitution in
Asia Minor, Syria, Yemen and in other
provinces away from Constantinople-
Asiatic provinces and in the Yemen In
many cases it is necessary to bride the
committeeman before anything whatever
can be accomplished. In the province m
question the authorities are merely pup
pets in the committeeman hands.
The boycott business is also very hard
for the country. No doubt the Greeks
have brought great deal of mischief on
their own heads by their intrigues and
vainglorious boastfulness, but 1t is a
foolish policy that cuts off the nose to
spite the face and the presence Of the
Greeks in Turkey is necessary for the
wellbeing of the country. In their jingo-
ism the present regime dreams of Turk
ish ships replacing the Greek trading
vessels by which the commerce of the
small ports is carried on. needless of the
fact that ships require competent off,
GERS. mechanicians and seamen. and OF
these the Turks have practically none"
The above may be accepted as the
frank and impartial expression of opin-
ion of a well Informed person. 1t comes
at timely moment. shortly after the
second anniversary of parliamentary
rule in the Ottoman Empire. c. I. B.