The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-19

FIRST and second wives OF the Earl
cromer.
During the 500 years that the i'm
periai house OF Osman has occupied the
throne at Constantinople. there have
been no less than ego Grand yiziers.
or these. only twenty-four are on re-
cord as having died natural death,
and thirty-siX or them We're publicly
executed. The Office. despite its au-
thority, It's prestige, its rank. and its
opportunity for he accumulation OF
"a fortune, is not one that is accepted
with liEht heart or, when once ac-
cepted. that is retained with quietude
OF mind. In fact. a statesman who has
held the office of Grand yizier Tor
lie" years. is always eager to resign
1t voluntarily. so as TO escape mora
Oriental methods or creating va
cancy.
1t is TO this in part that mus, be
ascribed the resignation Of Haiku
Pasha. In favor OF Kutshuk Said Pasha,
popularity known as Little Said" and
VINO having held the Office OF Grand
Nizier on no less than tive different
occasions. Sun survives This in IT,
self marks him for remarkable man.
indeed. he Is popularity regarded, both
at nome and abroad, as the cieverest
most cultured. and most energetic
statesman Of the Ottoman Empire He
is the son OF humble parents at
Erzeroum and worked his way up
from low station in life to be pri-
va'e secretary OF Sultan Abdul Aziz
During the earlier stages OF his re-
markablc career. he was actively en-
gagged in journalistic and literary
work. and the story OF his life might
be entitled From Journalist and Poet
10 Grond Nizier" The best testimony
as TO Said Pasha's abilities and st,tes-
manlike Qualities is tho fact that
sultan Abdul Hamid always summoned
MIN 10 the premiership of the empire
IN times of great national crises The
nrst time that ne took Office as Grand
Vizier he had 10 enter the lists against
Miahat Pasha. the champion OF con-
sttuuonal government. and who had
made himself extremely powerful
Sald was victorious in this struggle,
and made the sultan an absolute mon
arch again. The second time that he
was summoned to be Grand Vizier
was when the Armenian massacres
mad united Europe against the Porte,
and when the camarilla at court was
urging the Sultan to DEFY the great
powers. Said Pasha brought Turkey
successfully through that stormy
period. his reward being his dismissal,
at the instigation Of the palace
camarila
In 1895. after the fall OF Kxamil
Pasha Sultan Abdul Hamid again sum-
moned him to take over the Grand
Niziership. Said Pasha refused; where
upon the Sultan sent TO him to say that
ne would be more than a Grand ViZier,
Tor an entirely new post would be
created for him, In order shat he
might be higher than a Grand VIZ
Ter Said Pasha jumped to the con-
clnsion that this could only be the
sallows. fetched his favorite child. and
ned to the British Embassy. There
he remained. until the Sultan swore
by the Koran that his life would be
safe IL he left the protection of the
British Embassy. and also paid him
ms arrears of salary, which amounted
to large sum.
said played an important role Mt
Constantinople in political affairs. dur
ing the period which interviewed be-
tween the proclamation of the Con-
stitutioD and the deposition of Abdul
ftamid. some nine months later; and
II the Young Turks are turning 10 him
now to resume control Of the govern
ment, as Grand Vizier who brooks
but little interference. 1t is because
II is universally recognized that he is,
or all Turkish statesmen, the one best
qualihed to direct the foreign rela-
lions OF the Sublime Porte and to de-
fend the Ottoman Empire against
foreign interference. diplomatic or
otherwise.
Copyright. 1911. by the Brentwood
Company