The Washington herald., 1913-05-03
tCopyright. 1918, by A. D. Jacobson.)


In doing honor to Shukri Pasha, the
defender of Adrianopole, King Ferdi-
nand and the Brlgars havea worthy
precedent In the tribute paid to Os-
man Pasha after the fall of Plevna. On
the evening after the historic surren-
der, the brave and wounded Turkish
commander, as he was being driven
into the town, met Grand Duke Nicho-
las of Russia and the Crown Prince of
Roumania. While the officers of the
victorious armies cheered and the
troops presented arms. Osman mod
estly accepted the compliments of the
grand duke, but declined to shake
hands with the Roumanian prince,
whom he treated as a rebel, that couu-
try at the time still being under the
suzerainty of the Sublime Porte On
the following day Osman Pasha was
introduced to Car Alexander, who said:
II congratulate you on your exceeding
ly fine defense. 1t was one of the fin
est feats Of military history
Shukri Pasha is the Osman Pasha of
today. Handsome, strong. with thick
ly mustached lip. he appears and Is
every inch soldier. He comes of IA
nous fighting stock. One of his uncles
and his father won renown in the eau
casus and his brothers also have fought
for their country and faith. Person
ally he is charming, cultured, courte-
Gus, and a thorough master of his call
ing. Like the famous Crispi, or many
Of Turkeys greatest men. he is an AL
bantam by birth, an example of the fine
stuff of which that fighting highland
race is made. Recently Sultan Mo-
hammet v conferred upon him the sig
nal honor of the title of CHAT" (the
victorious).
Born at Erzeroum in. 1854, he re-
ceived his early military training at
the war college in Constantinople. and
in those early days he began to dis
tinguish himself. Shortly after being
made a junior lieutenant of artillery
he was sent to France and Germany to
continue his studies. The old Kaiser
attached him to the famous Second
Field Artillery Regiment of the Prus-
sian Guards, and even in that renowned
corps, and among crack officers, he
soon stood out conspicuously, and on
numerous occasions earned the praise
of Wilhelm the First, who went so far
as to report his high opinion of the
young officer to Sultan Abdul Hamid.
Years later. at a gala review in Con-
stantinople before Wilhelm II, Shukri
Pasha led his regiment past with such
precision that he earned loud praise
from the warlord, who asked that Shu-
kri. then colonel Of an artillery regf-
ment be presented to him. A within of
the Red Sultan interfered with the ca
reer of the young soldier. but as it
turned out, the Padisha's ill-will failed
to check his rise.
One of Shukris relatives incurred
the wrath of one of the Sultan's ia
vorites, who persuaded his master TO
send the offending officer into exile.
Damascus was chosen as the spot, and
the removal of this particular officer
was naturally followed by the exile,
more or less severe in its terms, of all
his relatives. Shukri Pasha was
among the number, and the spot Sc
lected for him as his place Of exile was
-Adrianople. There he became briga-
dier general and commander of an ar
tiIlery division. Most people would
have accepted the position as a sort Of
sinecure. and settled down to wait I'M
til the Sultan's mood changed.
Not so Shukri Pasha. His immediate
superior was Magyar Mahmoud Pasha,
who saw no objection to the ambitious
young soldier finding work for himself
II he so chose. Magyar Mahmoud was,
as his name indicates. Turk Of Hun
garian extraction, who, in ways only
known to the Yildiz Kiosk and the Ser
dSReEdt, HdQ DeCOIHc, by easy Stages, q
field marshal, and in his opinion Shu-
kris activity kept the officers and gar
rison out of mischief.
Shukri' set to work with will He
his officers and trained his
men thoroughly, lecturing the former
on all branches of military science, and |
drilling and maneuvering the latter
Every Turkish soldier I'M
der his command who could not read
and write was taught to do so. He
had all the thoroughness Of of a Kitch- !
ener in small as well as in great things |
He would often be met in the neigh |
borhood OF Adrianople sketching and |
taking notes, and practically the en-
tire modern defenses of the city owe |
their existence to him.
His fame grew as disfavor in Con-
waned, and eventually he |
was promoted to be army inspector,
while retaining his post at Adrianople.