Imperial Valley press., 1912-12-20
Sympathy for the Turks

London Standard: The author OF
the "Livre de la Pitie ct de la Mort"
sends the Figaro a timely appeal in
favor of the Turkish people, from
which the following passages well de-
serve quotation:
"Can anything be more revolving
than TO see to what a degree the
Turks are misunderstood almost un.
suspected, by westerners who have
never set foot in their country? In
America, from which have just come,
they are usually spoken Of as the
Asiatic hordes' and the 'barbarians.'
Yet believe that there does not exist
on the face of the earth race more
thoroughly good, brave, loyal and kind.
Alas! | must make an exception in the
case uT some of them, who have been
brought up in our schools, gangrened
on our boulcvards, later to develop in
to officials. Those | give up!
But the people-the lower classes
and the peasants! Where can you find
letter" Let anybody ask those %
Ii, WHO have lived in the East, eveh
our Sisters of Charity and our priests,
of whom they have the best opinions.
Turks, Bulgars, Serbs, and all the
Christians of the Levant, and know
beforehand what their answer will be
And every one of them will tell you
that these Bulgars, whose admirable
courage | am the first to recognize,
who advance to the sounds Of the TIE
Deum and Of church bells, are an in
flnitely more brutal and murderous
breed than the Moslems"
After drawing a picture of the life
10
men who go to the mosques five times
day to pray, and ''in the evening sit
under their vines, near the tombs of
their ancestors, to smoke and dream
OF eternity" he scouts the idea of
calling them "professlonal massacrers."
I'm Spain | have seen the bulls led
to the arena, before big fight. They
came quietly and peaceably, and it was
only afterward, when worried with
lance thrusts, and with the torture
of banderillos, that they We're mad
dened. and the desire grew to massa-
ere, and they fell upon the men in
their rage. Nowhere else will you find
the same care for the poor, the weak,
The old, and the young. the same re-
spect for parents, and the tender VEN
Grafton Of the mother, as among the
real Turks. When a man, even we'll
on in years, is sitting at one of those
little cafes where spirits have never
been known. il his father happens to
come in he rises, lowers his voice.
puts out his cigarette, so as not to
smoke in his presence, and goes hum
bly, to take a seat behind him.
| 'As for their kindness to animals,
we might all take example by them.
With what good nature the stray dogs
OF Stamboul were always treated and
fed for centuries, with what care the
Turk would descend into the street to
cover the puppies with a rug if it
ralned! And when municipal cOun-
CT. composed mostly of ArmenianS de-
creed that the dogs We're to be de-
Stroyed in the awful manner we know
there were battles in every quarter, an
almost revolt to defend them. AS for
the cats, they never move for anybody,
knowing well that all will move rather
than disturb them. And in Brusa tnera
Is hospital for the storks. for those
who. Wounded or too old. have not
been able to lit at the coming Of win
ter. You can see some there bandaged
and with wooden legs, and when vis-
tied it there was even an old owl, in
its second childhood which depended,
.."e the stOrks, on pious offerings. Per-
haps in the hour OF trial they are
passing.
II am talking about really ridcu
lOuS and infantile things, but they are
typical, and have their own weight, IL
attest how compassionate and kind
hearted is this people that so many
who know nothing, and will not listen
tu reason. a ccuSe Of harbarity"
The article concludes:
81 know that | am talking to the
wind, and though | have no hope that
my humble appeal will be heard | fee,
need to cry to Europe: Mercy for the
Turks, spare those that are leftr II
IS with them more than anywhere else
that bravery ana prObity are to be
found. They are the last refuge Of
calm. OF respect, OF Sobriety, Of silence
and Of prayer. | cannot think that
there is single Frenchman with hea";
and feeling who would not associate
himself ardently in the homage that
have wished to pay them here dur
ing this moment of supreme distress a
useless one, alas, like the sad wreathS
we lay on graves"