The sun., 1912-08-04

massacres at Adana and Tarsus formed a
dark contrast TO the Turkish rejoicing
over the overthrow of Abdul Hamid.
July 20. 1909. the first anniversary Of the
new liberty. was celebrated almost ex-
clusively by the Moslem element in Turkey
The Greeks were sullen over the Cretan
question. for they sympathized with their
linguistic kinsmen who wished to unite
| with Greece. The Armenians were only
jus, beginning to understand how directly
culpable were the Young Turks in the
Adana massacrcs. which az first had been
, laid at the door OF Abdul Hamid.
,. The anniversary. Independence Day
was celebrated by great military review
in Constantinople The Young Turks had
not been idle; they had made marvellous
progress in clothing. equipping and dis
ciplining their army. And the coming
year was 10 see still greater activity and
progress along this line.
( The second and third year OF the new
regime passed with nothing 30 startling
asa counter revolution but not week
went by when soine new difficulty did
not loom on some horizon OF the broad
empire Greek and Bulgarian problems
/ in Macedonia a disconcerting revolt in
northeastern Albania, which was followed
up by colossal Turkish laundering: the
boycott of Greek commerce which reacted
like boomerang upon the people OF
Turkey: tho Yemen again in revolt; the
Arabs of the Hauran likewise in revolt;
Il second and more serious Albanian
revolt. this time among the Christians OF
northwestern Albania.
The third anniversary Of July 20 found
every element including the Muklems and
even the Turkish Moslcms disenchanted
with Young Turkey. and Of European
friends she had none except the Kaiser
Government cordial alike to the Ham
it!!an Government or to the reformed
regime.
on that very Anniversary day occurred
the second terrible fire in Stamboul since
the opening oi the new era. And only a
month ago third conhn grafton devas-
;ated a large area in the vicinity Of the
precious mosqu. Of San Sophia actually
burning one of the six minare,s of the
neighboring Mosque Of Sultan Achmet
the most beautiful exterior in CONSTANT
noplc.
4 hen on September 20, 1911 out OF the blue
came the war with Italy. The exigenc les
of the Yemen revolt, ,7hich was becoming
more and more critical, had caused the
unsuspecting Grand Niaisr Hakki Pasha
to assure ,hr Minister of War that the
Tripoli garrisons could safely be with.
drawn for the Yemen service. The slip
is making current history.
And Turkey is again facing an Albanian
revolt. tho third and gravest since the
Constitution She il also facing one OF
the rnost critical moments Of her history
And the whcle near East seems to he on
The verge of something. Ones mine
bccomes confused in trying TO fathon
whether !; is the great contiagration which
will begin IN Turkey. with or withou
massacre hat will bridge the centuries
back to T." days Of Nero Or shall w
haze. in the inevitable dismembermen
Of the O oman Empire, case OF blood
less surgery unique in tho worlds history
Neither alternative is a particular,
plcasan, thin. for the peaceable elcmen
in Turkey 20 contemplate on this fourtl
ami, ersarv Nevertheless. let but
Turkish soldier cross the Greek frontier
le. Turkey say hut one hasty word 4
Bulgaria lr' IA cup Of Turkish coffee b
upset. and history may be unrolcd wit
rerklss5ness that the century sine
Nal olcon hunanarte has not known.