The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-02-07
ITO knowledge" Cry Which Progress
sive Party in Turkey PIacards High.
Ways-Governnents Seek 70 En-
nance Own Prestige by Schools.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
Beirut.-If visitor In this city has
sufficient curiosity to inquire the
meaning of the Arabic inscriptions
which he sees emblazed upon the
walls, he will be told that they are
q motto of the Progressive Party
ITO knowledge" and "Juryman, seek
knowledge! Ignorance is shame"
That points straight to the underly-
Ing problem of awakened Turkey
However, farcical the present consti-
tutional government may now appear,
IT must ultimately rest upon rae eau
cation of the people. Not at the Sub
lime Porte and In the inner Offices of
the administration, but in the schools
OF the Empire, the destiny of Turkey
Is to be worked out. A constitutional
government is simply impossible with
out popular education.
The prevailing idea of education in
old Turkey was the memorizing of the
Koran in fC ur tones. The Koran is in
Arabic and so even where memorized,
utterly unintelligible to most of those
who study 1t. These mosque schools
were little else than hot.beds of bigo-
try and hatred of Christians. They eff
fected no change in the economic con-
ditions, nor did they broaden the In
tellectual horizon of their students.
Traditions concerning the Prophet
were Of little help to the peasant in
raising a living from the ill-treated
soil Of his land. One OF the hopeful
signs Of the new day Is that everybody
seems to realize that education must
have the right of way.
Religious Schools tho Rule.
When the constitutional era was
proclaimed there was at once great
f1ocking of children to existing schools,
especially to those kept by foreigners.
There has been some reaction In this
respect, as the Moslems and Greeks
and Armenians have, by means Of
threats and other pressure, compelled
the parents to send children to their
own schools however inferior these
may be. The latter have been forced
to improve their standing -erceptibly,
even at the cost of taking Christian
teachers from the foreign schools.
One Office of the educational institu.
tions maintained by foreigners in Tur.
key is to stimulate the native schools
to emulation.
While the Young Turk leaders have
designed scheme of non-religious
schools, yet practically the religious
schools are the prevailing ones. The
people here have such varying relig-
ious beliefs, and religious ideas hold
such supreme place In their thought,
that nobody Is satisfied with non-re.
ligious schools. The result Is that the
youth of Turkey Is largely being edu.
Gated in schools which put the church
above the state. The empire Is -.
vided into great national groupings
which are also religious classifications.
Educationally, the result Is chaos.
The government Is trying to find itself
In this matter and to adapt Itself to
the educational conditions Of the new
order.
Diplomacy and Education.
Ia the great game for the possession
OF New Turkey, the school Is freely
used by foreign governments. France
has heartily supported and championed
the Jesuit colleges and primary schools
for they teach the French language
and French history and inculate the
French view point They are visible
reminder Of French nationality and
naturally enhance the prestige of that
government which has strongly sup.
ported the rights of these schools with
diplomatic representatives. These
French schools maintained by the Jes
uits are enormously successful.
Germany has tried, but with poorer
success, to give the German language
the right of way in Turkey, but the
German tongue does not succeed In
corresponding ratio with the other
German triumphs here. So, along the
Bagdad railway. the Germans are
obliged to use the French language.
Great Britain has belatedly come to
realize the advantages of the educa
tional agency in promoting her pres
tige. In Constaltinople an English
High School for Boys has been
opened with fine staff of teachers
out from England. The education Civ.
en- Is In the English language and
along English lines. The teachers
avow that they are promoting the Brit.
ish type Of education as a matter Of
imperial policy. On this basis they
are supported by the British press and
British officials, AID they look forward
to grant from the British govern
ment, just as an appropriation would
be made for the maintenance Of Con.
sulate.