Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-01

L
other local officials to go ahead and carry
out plans for the benefit of the people. 1,
| is conceded that the character and ability
| of the local officials has been greatly i'm
proved. Better governors have been Sc
| lected and they have been cautioned that
| their tenure of Office depends upon their
behavior. The provincial magistrates no
longer depend upon blackmail for liv-
ing. Formerly governor bought his po-
sition and used it to reimburse himself
for past expenditures and to provide for
his future While he was robbing the
people and feathering his own nest. moth
ing was done for the benefit of the public
No roads were built or bridges repaired
and none Of the revenues were spent Tor
the general welfare. Today things are
supposed to be different. and the govern
ors have been instructed to drain the
marshes. build roads and bridges, to i'm
prove the prisons and the barracks. to
provide schools and repair the mosques,
but they do not act. They are AFRAID OF
responsibility. They cannot get rid of
habits formed under the old regime. when
no governor dare do anything without
first reporting his intentions to the sur
tan and securing his majestys approval
and consent.
ernors have acted promptly and nave re-
ceived the cordial commentator OF the
ministry at Constantinople. Their work
has been publicly commended In the
chamber of deputies. and 1t Is probable
that these examples will be regarded as
precedents and initiated by others.
The greatest AMOUNT Of trouble from
this source is found in the eastern por-
ton of Asia Minor, where ignorance and
fanaticism are universal and where the
people need public works more than any
other community.
Promises Not Fulfilled.
They have given the new regime their
cordial Endorsement; they have been told
that the new government will give them
roads by which they can take their prod
uce to market; schools In which their
children may be educated; bridges over
the streams and other modern improve
ments, and they have waited patiently
fer more than a year for something to
happen. but there is nothing doing, and
the peasants are beginning to have their
doubts as to the sincerity of the govern
ment, which, if 1t goes much farther. will
result in reputation and revolution.
One great benefit which the peasants
enjoy. however. and the Importance of
which they recognize, is the abolition of
the passport system which prohibited the
resident of one village from visiting an
other without the permission of the po-
lice.. Now any one can go wherever he
pleaseS at any time without interference
from the authorities and no questions
asked.
Another great improvement has been in
the character and conduct of the gen.
darmes or national police, which are UNI
der the direction of the minister OF the
interior. with local commanders who re-
pert to the governors of the provinces.
Formerly the gendarmes were the brutal
tools of tyranny. Every massacre was
led by them. They were blackmailers
robbers. despoilers of homes, ravishers of
women and murderers. and their uni
fo1 pIlniEhnNnnf
Since the new government came in there
has been an almost universal change in
the personnel Of the police and the pres
ent force is made up largely Of veteran
soldiers with honorable records. The most
intelligent and reliable men have been
detailed for the service and. as rule,
they are honest, conscientious and anX-
ious to perform their duties properly.
Schools for Their Training.
There are several schools for training
them similar to those adopted by the for
ean officials in Macedonia.
They are taught by European officers
and the first lesson is to convince them
that they must command and deserve the
respect of the people. 1t is perfectly
natural that they should be regarded with
jealousy by the Zaptiehs and spies of the
old regime. but there has been very little
complaint and they are winning golden
opinions
Another serious mistake of the new
government has been the treatment of
the Albanians, who were greatly favored
by Abdul Hamid and are naughty, indie
pendent, fearless mOuntaineers very diff
cult to deal with. They are only semi
civilized and their province is probably
the most primitive in all Europe. Instead
schools of their own, and cultivating
their good will. the new government has
antagonized the Albanians from the start.
They were recognized as favorites and
adherents of the old sultan, and the AL
bantam regiments which formed his body
guard and received four times the pay
of the ordinary soldier were disbanded
and sent home to make mischief.
An unwise governor issued order
requiring the use of the Turkish language
exclusively i'm all the Albanian schools,
which was the most offensive act that
could have been committed. The AL
bantam representatives in the chamber of
deputies protested. but in vain. They
had thrown in their lot with the reform
ers and had offered their support to the
government. but the government would
not trust them and treated them as
enemies. Hence. an insurrection which
stirred up the entire province and cost sew
eral hundred lives and hundreds of thou
sands of pounds An armed peace has
been restored. but no attempt has been
made to improve the condition Of the
Albanans. The ruins of the villages
that have been burned and the graves of
the neighbors that have been killed will
be perpetual reminders of what the AL
banians consider to be a tyrannical and
unjust treatment of their province.
A similar mistake is now being made in
Macedonia, where the sympathy of the
people was so strongly on the side Of
their next-door neighbors. the Albanians.
that the government feared a revolution.
Instead of trying to prevent 1t by giving
the Macedonians new roads and schools
and other public improvements which
they need so much, an order was issued
to disarm the entire population.
Guns Hidden in Woods.
Comparatively few guns have been sur
rendered and even a smaller number have
been found by searching parties. The
rest arc buried in the woods, ready for
use whenever a favorable opportunity is
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