The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-07-16

to the best m but among them
all there is q 10 first-clasS kingdom
and no small kingdom. even. that Is a
workable unit Of Congenial people.
Guerilla Warfare Against Christianity.
None the less. as the real strong
holds of Islam are remote from civil
ization, the hOSiemS are able TO perSe-
cute Christians pretty much as they
please. a Kurdish raftInan on the
TigriS river told me that he believed
the whole world was Moslem. except
for some noisy Armenians whose
throats were cut when they became
bother some, In hundreds Of Turkish
and Moroccan and Egyptian villages
today the native Christians are being
subjected to grave indignities by the
MOSlems eau OF this war with
Italy. Every mail brings to the great
mission boards in this country intel
ligence of this sort.
This news is full Of possibilities. Ali
over the Turkish empire Christians
are suffering hardship. although TO a
lesser degree in the coast cities and
in the places within reach of the
telegraph. Most of these Christians
are not ProtestantS or Roman Cath
olicS. but members Of the ancient
eastern churches. such AS the Greek.
Armenian. COptic, JacObite. and Chal-
dean.
How Priests Are Protected.
The bitterness of the Mosiems
against Christians at the present time
is intensified because Rome is the CEN
ter Of one great body OF the Christian
church. This makes clearer the mark
Of division between Christian and
MOslem: it is not merely a national
dntipathy to Italians. the nations
enemy, but the older ~animosity OF all
Moslems against all Christians.
Italians have been driven out or
the Turkish empire in consequence OF
a recent decree; and this means more
than is apparent to a WeSterner. for
a great number Of Italians have been
doing business along the Mediter-
ranean coast of the Turkish empire.
This measure was taken partly be
cause they were Italians, and partly
because they were Christians.
The Turks gnaSh their teeth be-
cause they are unable to drive out
the priests and religious leaders of
the churches and mOnaSteries OF the
Roman Catholic church. TheSe are
all under the protection Of France by
a special treaty. 1t does not matter
that many Of the priests are Italians.
the Turks dare not risk dis
pleasure by violating the capitula-
tians. Turkish boys may be kept from
the mission schools. and W~orshippers
Kept from the churches, but the in
Sl1CutlOnS ana the priests lAeflSelS Is
are safe.
The Possibilities Of An Explosion.
Withal, the Turks have not dared
attack the Christians who belong To
other nations. Herein lies the par
ticular delicacy Of the present sit
uation. At any hour. Russia OF
France or Britain or America or Ger
many may be involved in some out
rage upon Christians at a remote
49,: III ~:-- 49,
nations are to be found in various
parts of the Turkish empire. The
news Of an Italian victory may Gauss
the fanaticiSm Of the people to over
) ride their fear of the capitulationS anC
, to wreak vengeance upon tn
Christians. Thus the attack upOI
t Beirut by the Italian fleet sent Chris
!, tians OF all names scurrying to tn
Lebanon. Any such outbreak. Q
course, will provoke Intervention b.
. the powers When Intervention comes
8 no man can tell what will follow.
When Turkey Breaks Up.
What foreign residents in Turke,
e hin Of the situation is shown by thi
n fable. sent me by an American resi-
: dent in the Turkish empire:
v The Ottoman government in it
policy Of delay is like Jafar who ha'
d deeply offended his royal master. an,
was given his choice of three form
q Of punishment-tO eat 100 onions, 0
to receive 100 blows on his back. Q
to pay 100 pieces Of gold. To par
with the gold was not to De though
Of, and to accept the blows. was
= disgrace; SO he chose the onions, an
began the task. At abou
I the thirtieth onion nature revoltet
his stomach rebelled. and he wa
obliged to accept the disgrace OF tn
- blows. At about the fOrtieth bio'
his back vas broken and he piteousl
whined for mercy. His master wa
relentless and Jafar paid the gold, i
addition to the surfeit Of onions an
q his smarting back. So il has eve
= been with the Turks when presSe
by their enemies. The situation i
/. Tripoli has beer lost: :. All {
4 the islands have been lost. ). Whs
n next?"
: There never was a time when civi
l. izatiOn had better reason to beiies
that the old dream OF the crusader