Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-29
killing OFF EDITORS
Turkeys Newest Method Of
i Censoring Press.
TWO ABLE WRITER'S SLAIN
Legislator, Mistaken for Journalist,
Badly Wounded.
NO PUNISHMENT METED OUT
Ministry Deplores Assassinations,
But Finds It Impossible to
Hurt Adherents.
TWO ABLE WRITER'S SLAIN
NO PUNISHMENT METED OUT
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
CoNSTANTINOPLE. August 81, 1910
The new constitution of Turkey guar
antees to editors of newspapers and all
others freedom OF speech and liberty OF
criticism 1t does not protect them
against assassination.
Two editors have been assassinated In
cold blood during the past year. A MEM
her of the chamber Of deputies was shot
by mistake for a third editor whom he
resembled.
All three were freely criticisfng the gov
eminent and the secret committee of
union and progress which controls it.
They were repeatedly warned by par
tisans of officials they were -criticising
and by anonymous letters that their criti-
cisms would not he tolerated. and that
they would suffer the penalty OF death II
they did not stop their attacks.
No one has been arrested for either
crime. The police have been perniciously
active in smothering the scent and di-
vertins public attention by fictitious the
cries.
Attitude of Ministry.
1t is not believed that the grand vizier
or the ministry, either as a whole or IN
dividually, desired or approved the MUIR
ders On the contrary, they undoubtedly
deplore them, like all other good citizens,
because of the effect they have had upon
public sentiment and the reputation OF
Turkey.
But some of them must be aware OF
the identity or. at least, the connection
of the assassins. or could ascertain the
facts promptly if they considered II ols-
Greet to do so. However, they cannot
permit their partisans to be punished,
even for so atrocious crime
Under the old regime there were various
WAYS of disposing of critics of the sultan
and secret.
One of the generally accepted stories is
that certain pasha. who lived in hand
some palace on the Bosphorous, mao
charge ofs what we may call the depart
ment of disappearance. When the sui
tan sent him the names of undesirable
citizens he made it his business to have
them strangled and anchored at the bot
tom of the BOsphorus with a sack or
cobblestones attached to their necks
Many a man, indeed hundreds of men,
who were Objectionable to Abdul Hamid
and to the prominent officials in the
Olden time suddenly disappeared. 1t was
dangerous to ask questions.
Those methods are obsolete. Yet the
spirit which prompted and approved them
seems to exist still, to the shame OF the
nation.
Assassins Assigned to Jobs.
These three assassinations, without
question, were committed by overzealous
partisans. eof the administration. 1t is
generally believed that the assassins are
told off for the deed.
fod
sense of duty or on their individual re-
sponsibility, like the man who shot
Mayor Gaynor and the assassins of Car
field and mckinley. Their purpose was
ing, some of which have been traced.
But the results of the Investigations
cannot be disclosed by the men who
made them. for fear they may share the
same fate as the EDITORS. But, what is
still more lamentable. the administration
dare not punish the assassins for fear of
alternating some of its most active and
influential. adherents.
Hence the public. and especially the
newspapers. are inquiring how long such
A fear is to prevent the punishment of
crime. II two editors can be killed and
third doomed to die for criticising the
government. how many more will be?
When will this form Of censorship stop?
Increase in the Press.
Thirty or forty newspapers have sprung
up in Constantinople in the place of the
three subsidized organs of Abdul Hamid
since the constitution guaranteed free
dom of speech. Most of these nave been
the organs of individual politicians or of
political clubs and factions. They ap-
pear and disappear suddenly at times,
and nobody is surprised.
When new paper is issued it means
that somebody has a policy to advocate,
or is interested in promoting some po-
litical movement When it ceases TO be
seen upon the counters of the news
stands, or to be offered in the streets
by noisy newsboSs, il may be understood
that the movement has failed or the
money of the promoters is exhausted.
There are, however. dozen or more
permanent journals, having sound finan-
Cia backing, edited with ability, and de-
voted to giving the news of the world as
well as discussing public topics. Perhaps
eight of these are daihes. In addition,
there are several comic and Satirical
literary and scientific publications, weekly
and monthly.
Character of Journalism.
Most of the publications are decent
although some of them have strong
yellow hue. 4 few are scandalous and
even obscene and would not be tolerated
even in Paris.
The constitution does not discriminate
between competent criticism and scan