Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1911-11-17
WOMEN OF TURKEY
F0RsAkE HAREM
Revolution Which Has Shaken
sultan's Domain Has En-.
tered Into the Clustered
Vaults; New Freedom.

almost as much as the men by the
changes that have been taking place
In their country. They are showing
surprising alncfity IN syalling them
sciyes OF the opportunities found IN
new conditions.
One OF the most inlerestinl and re-
markable events IN ths revolt Of the
Young Turks IN 1908 was the attiiude
OF the wonisn aeins Immune frcrn
mclestatlon they undertook 10 delivo'
messages and documents and travelled
TO and fro on missions OF great Sc
crecy and importance. ttN
II was stated that during the revolu.
tton some OF the women dispensed
with servants and did the hougework
themselves In order 10 parry spice.
When their party triumphed many 40
men discarded their wells and took
part with uncovered faces IN the street
demonstrations OF the men to cele-
brate their new liberties
One woman headed vast crowd az
STEAMBOAT and declared IN favor Of the
new regime. calling upon her ssaters
TO give II their utmost support. while
among the most interchangeable mem
bers OF the Young Turk party at Sas
ionica was woman graduate from
the American college at scutars. wo-
mems clubs were alao started. but
were alterward suppressed.
After having avallcd themselves OF
the help Of the women. the victors un-
gratefully refused IN assist their for
: mcr companions in their own strug.
glce for q wider life. and have been
cndeayorlng 20 push them back into
the seclusl0n OF the harem. II has
been found impossible 10 do this nj.
together.
Turkish women are often well edu-
Gated. though II Ii only within the
last nifty years that Il has become cus.
tomary for them 10 read and write.
Their lives OF seclusion encourage
study. and they pass the long winter
evenings Ia devouring any literature
that comes their way, for many nre
excellent linguists. For many years
past the education OF the upper classes
has been conducted on modern lines.
which has had the effect Of increasing
their discomfort. and they are intense
ly envious OF their Christian and jew.
18Th sisters.
Many OF the leading Turks. espe-
claiiy those belonging 10 the Official
classics, are bread minded. highly cui-
tured men; they. are brought Into,
touch with foreign women whom
they are anxious for their womenkind
10 resemble; they therefore offer but
little opposition TO she movement FOR
w0men's higher education and greater
liberty which IN now going on IN the
country.
Il Il not generally known that the
Turkish. woman IL In better legal
position than her sisters Ia any coun.
try In Europe. She IL economically
independent OF her husband. and the
law obllges him To endow her az mar
riage with a separate estate over
which he has no control. She has
the disposal OF any money or posses
sions that may have been hers before
her mgrriage. and as IN Turkey
daughters Inherit from parents equal.
iy with sans. this II often consider.
able.
She can dispose OF her possessions
az she ploases. She can sue her hus.
band In the courts and be sued by
him, she Is allowed a snni for house
keeping cxpcnsca. and no one has q
right To inquire how Il is spent, while
her husband is Obliged 10 maintain
her and her servants according TO his
means. The case recently brought
before ain English magistrate ~ man
who had given his wife six cents a
day for herself and two children for
nine years would be impossible In
Turkey.
In fact. the rights and pretensions
Of the Turkish woman are 10 power
ial that though men are allowed four
wives by law they rarely are found
with more than one. chief among the
reasons given being that they do not
care 10 put themselves In the power
OF more than one woman.
II must not be supposed, however.
that Turkish women do not suffer un.
der many and great disabilities. II
takes the sworn evidence Of two wo
inoa 10 balance that OF one man, aud
whereas men are permitted 20 marry
those OF another faith the women are
forbidden 70 do so, II was recently
announced In English and American
papers that a Law had been passed
by the Turkish parliament BY which q
woman could claim divorce from her
husband for unfalthfulnesH. "a
Had this bcen true Il would have
been great ana far reaching reform
The statement, however. Ia inc0rrcel
All a woman can DO under the cir
cumstancea Is To put the matter before
a court Of jurisdiction, which can
grant her separation. should Il be
considered desirable. The TuFkish
parliament could not pass such q law
The number OF women who are Join.
ing the movement Tor the greater ffeo.
dom OF their sex IL increanlngs and Il
now includes many highly inelueniial
ladies. For the iifst tinap IN the his.
tory OF the country the sultan recently
received a deputasion OF Turkish wo-
men led by the wife OF Tewnk Pasha,
the leader OF the Young Turk party.
and sister OF Ahnet Ria. the pgesl.
dent Of the Turkish parliament.
They complained that the Leaders of
the wOmen'n movement were being
peruoculed and they asked for the
suspension OF the edict ab0lishlng
Nomen's clubs. The sultan promised
70 DO wha. he could 10 Improve the
condition OF the women OF the eInplre