Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1911-08-31

left by the hundreds of thousands
will return to this country. All OF
them pine for the homeland, but they
simply cannot live here"
DO you not see" I remarked, that
the country is being drained OF the
best people by emigration, 80 that the
prospects grow weaker as more OF
them leave7"
Good people so to a good country"
was the terse rejoinder of college
professor; there is no field here for
educated non-Moslems."
The Army Bugaboo.
have said that the prospect of mil
itary service which is now open to
the Christians is driving many young
men out of the country. Several were
escaping on ships upon which trav'
eled. When demonstrated with these
young men declared that the Chris
tians are prosecuted in the army; that
there are no Christian officers; that
the immortality of the Turkish soldiers
is of a nature that makes even the
nominal Christians flee from 1t; and
that the life In the army is not only
poorly paid-about 80 cents a month
but that the conditions are of the
hardest.
1t seems to be the opinion of these
educated observers that Turkey Is
willing to have as many of the Chris
tlans as please leave the country.
Here my companions began to ask
questions about America. They talked
of it as the children of Israel must
have talked of Canaan. Every man
Of the twelve In that room. as we
found by a count, has relatives in
America; some of them look forward
to going thither themselves. They
think that the rapid spread Of the
Masonic movement will help improve
conditions; but they say that in Tur-
key the Masons do not cohere suffl.
GENTLY.
The Sultan's Greatest Dread.
Speaking of the reform element
which undoubtedly exists within Islam
itself, these educated Ottomans said
that the progressive Moslems dare not
show their hand in Turkey. There
Is no real freedom of criticism.
"If you would print in your paper"
suggested to one, that the Sultan is
not descendant of the prophet, and
not even a member of the prophets
tribe, and so, according to the ancient
law of Islam, is not qualified to be
caliph, would you be sent to prison? ?"
This point Is one which gives the sui.
tan greatest concern.
With fine scorn the man answered.
mo- would not go to prison; would
go to my grave"
"These new days have only made
the Moslem Turks more fanatical.
There is likely to be a massacre at
any moment. None of us is safe.
cannot venture out without my pistol
as you moving aside his coat
and showing the pistol in his pocket
Everybody goes armed When the
Moslems could kill Americans. as they
did Rogers and Maurer in Adana they
say 1t is safe to go ahead and kill
native Christians"
Factors in Reform.
The gentlemen present were unani
nous that the greatest factors Of
promise in Turkey were the schools
maintained by foreigners, and espe
cially by the Americans. After the
beginnings of the public education
which have been made, there may
come general enlightenment.
There is great need for the improve
ment of agricultural conditions by the
government itself, If people are tt
wrest a bare living from the fields
with prices rising on every hand.
Late at night the conference broke
up and l carried with me picture o
men under the strain OF the great feal
and a great discomfort, who could b,
patriots If given chance, but who's
present sentiments are those Of ute
antagonism to the government o
which they are citizens.
Copyright, 1911. by Joseph B. Bowles.)