Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-01

little reflection would suffice to in
crease our confidence I'm the permanence
OF the new regime in Turkey. The meta
morphoSis is all the more striking that 1t |
began In an army reputed until the rev.
olution. to be a fanatical army. which I
first of all would turn its arms against /
the Christians of the ottoman empire
We have seen the fraternization Of that |
army with the manv diverse races and re- !
ligions Of the empire: the army has lib |
Grated the Turkish people from the yoke !
Of the most fr!ghtful despotism. And this /
while emitting it to the thanks OF the /!
people, entities II also to the admiration 1
of the world.
The different peoples which constitute
what has been termed an Ottoman mo- |
sale" We're awakened one day by the cry |
Long live liberty."-a word which until |
then they were prohibited from uttering |
and of which. it was assumed. they had !
not the faintest conception. Since then |
the Turkish army and people have acted |
as if their liberty had been q birthrieht |
rather than the gift Of the military. His |
tory has no stranger story to relate and
nothing which does more honor to the |
Turkish nation.
The Turkish revolution. 1T should be i
said. sprang from an intellectual source. I
from those young Turks who had been
sent to Eurone to complete their studies,
and principally those who had been sent
there to complete their military edu- |
cation. When they returned to Turkey
enab led them to achieve a work which |
is truly marvellous.
Parliamentarism in Turkey has not
vet entered into the spirit and habits
of the people. and the task of reciama-
ton Of a nation may not. therefore.
be said to have been completely &C,
when Sufficient time e will have elapsed
to educate the people.
1t is announced that parliament will
create two new ministries. commerce
and agriculture, for the
Economic better development of
navelorman+ the economical interests
OosciounioAt Of the empire. A Turkish
Journal writes on this subject: "Agri-
culture is the first Of all arts, the
mother of all products, the source of all
industries: it is the most honorable
and the most Independent of all pro-
fessions But Notwithstanding That
superiority. agriculture has been dis
dained during long time by
numerous class of inteliectuais VINO
might have rendered it great service"
1t is confessed that Turkey requires
amelioration in the agricultural art and
'acks agricultural machines and also the
formation of numerous agronomic So
cieties, which are ABSOLUTELY necessary
under the circumstances. II, fortunately.
these conditions are realized, the future
of Turkey may be brilliant.
The Ottoman parliament is actually
occupied in the discussion OF many ques-
tons of supreme interest to the country.
Among these is the reclamation or Meso-
potamia which involves the construction
of railroads.
Parliament is discussing the budget.
subject more interesting than another be-
cause of the necessity for Turkey to
establish her finances upon a high plane.
1t is we'll known that NJ. Charles
Laurent, financial counselor OF France.
man of great experience and profoundly
versed IN the science of finance, was lent
to Turkey by the French government. NJ.
Laurent has submitted to the minister of
finances the necessary indications to pre-
pare the first budget Of an empire which
until now never possessed any serious
accounting. 1t was thus that the min
lister of finances was able to submit to
the chamber project based upon the
system of "moyennes."
The projects of NJ. Laurent are as fol-
lows: First. the reorganization Of the
general accountability Of
Reform the empire. Second. the
pro;.,4a reorganization OF the
court of accounts and
third, the convention establishing the
service Of the treasury which will be con-
fided to the Imperial Ottoman Bank. NJ.
Laurent explained his plans in detail for
the complete reorganization Of Ottoman
finances before an audience OF invled
guests at the School of Political Science
In Paris on the 18th ultimo.
The eminent speaker drew a striking
picture of ottoman finances before the
coming of the Young Turks. There was
l.:
the receipts merely entries indicating
dates. Such sheets were made to per-
form the Office Of budgets in the several
ministries. each ministry having its spe-
clal receipts, which were employed as it
wished, and without any control what
ever. When the funds were exhausted
the minister of finance authorized pay
ments based upon the resources OF Ger
tain indicated provinces. The role of min
lister of finance consisted simply in find |
ing money, which he procured by loans. |
by advances, by transfers of credits of
other funds. and to retard as long as
possible the payment of government
creditors
The deficit was the necessary conse- |
quence of such situation. For the
twenty-seven last years of the old regime |
the excess of the expenses over the re- i
ceipts amounted to 1861 600, OCO francs. |
but at the same time it was true there |
was formed sinking fund for the public |
debt. Thus eight hundred and sixty-five |
millions had been paid. There had been |
discovered a hidden debt, constituted by |
former private debts, of which $50 900 |
claims had been made upon the ministry |
of finance. amounting to about two hun |
dred and ninety-siX millions. |
NJ. Charles Laurent had been greatly |
aided in the reforms by Hussein Hilmi |
Pasha, whose eminent |
Regular services in Macedonia
Budget. cause u e of c'vi, ns a ,ne
peace. NJ. Laurent had established in |
ne first place the budgetary unity, the |
essential condition of sincerity and clear
ness in the finances of great states; al
ready all receipts formerly scattered |
through seventeen administrations are
centralized in the treasury. The pre-
visions of receipts and expenditures Nave /
been arranged for 1909 by a regular and |
normal budget. 1t is the first one that
Turkey has ever known, and if by rea-
son Of anterior deficits and new expenses !
the budget could not be balanced, at 4
least it had the merit of being an ab-
Solutely sincere account.
NJ Laurent in conclusion paid a high
tribute to the Young Turks. whose veri- |
table force was in their military suprem-
acy. He warned them, however of the
necessity of economy and the develop