The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-26
SULTAN OPPOSES
DENOMINATION
Grants Lengthy Interview to
Correspondent and Talks
Politics
SAYS SENTIMENTS
ARE HUMANITARIAN
Discusses Many Matters and
Declares Preference for
Favorite Wife Sys-
TEN in HaremS
(By w. +. stexid.)

pERA, CONSTANTINOPL July
25.--I have to-day fulfilled the most
difficult part of the commission en-
trusted to me by the New York Amer
lean and have achieved a record.
have not only interviewed the Sui
intimate political talk with him than
he had with anybody since becoming
Sultan.
During the morning ! received this
note from Loufti. the first cham ber-
lain to the Sultan:
Having heard that you are in Con-
stantinople, His Imperial Majesty will
be pleased to receive you to-day at
s O'Clock at Dolma Bagtche palace.
Punctually at the designated hour
I presented myself at the palace and
was ushered into the chamberlain s
room. Loufti, who speaks English
admirably. undertook TO interpret, as
, the Sultan speaks only Turkish. After
cigarettes. sherbet and coffee had
been served, the latter In rare china
cups set in silver holders. thickly
crusted with diamonds, / was ushered
into the presence of the Sultan.
The Sultan.
The commander OF the faithful
and caliph shadow OF god" is q short.
heavily built Turk. 81 years old. He
short white beard. His face Is not
expressive. and his eyes are a dur,
grey. He wore a red fez cap was
dressed in European clothes and wore
no decorations Being seated. His
Majesty was pleased TO express his
pleasure on receiving me- | thank
ed him for enabling me to congratu-
late the the first constitutional SOW
ereign ever reigning in Turkey The
Sultan said he had always been In
favor Of q constitution and was de-
termined to maintain 1t.
Thus began an unprecedented con
versatton. which before it closed,
touched upon almost all political
/ questions OF domestic and foreign
policy. Loufti translated faithfully
| never fiinching at the hardest home
thrusts. To my surprise I got on
famonsly with His Majesty, who
seemed much interested in my ex-
position OF the duties and privileges
on constitutional sovereigns in gen
eral and the Sultan In particular. Sci
dom have ! had greater liberty Of ut
! terance and never have l awaited my
self OF It more frankly, excepting In
my interviews with the Tsars of Rus
STA
Sentiments for Humanity.
The Sultan was interested and at
tehtise and thanked me warmly for
coming to see him. II see you are a
man OF good conscience" he exclaim-
| ed. after / had expounded my views
| on Turkeys relations to Germany and
England. After he had expressed
the most admirable sentiments in OPP
position to the policy of Ottomaniza-
ton. / congratulated him on being &C
much wiser than his ministers. He
expressed the hope that ! would no.
md occasion To censure his generals
| for atrocities
II assured him I would always do
$50 Faithfully, feeling that IT, was there
by doing my best to aid His Majesty
In giving effect to the Humanitarian
sentiments he had just expressed
that as had never hesitated to con-
denim British generals when they act
ed unjustly or cruelty. should mete
ont the same measure to the Turkish,
generals under similar circumstances
At one point the conversation took
curious turn. Raitng the discus
sion as to whether in q polygamous
harem there should be one favor1te
Wife or whether all should be treated
equally, the Sultan having had expe-
Renee. said he preferred the favorite
wife system.
The Boer war and the South Afri-
can settlement came up to illustrate
, that, true loyalty to sovereigns de-
manded determined resistance to their
unwise advisers. But II is impossible
49,