The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-06-01

For a long time, at least a week.
have. felt impelled to write history o.
Turkey. Turkey Is in such a bad way
just now it cannot write a history Of IL
self, and will probably be unable to ge
around to it until its scribes have caugh
up with their sleep. Meanwhile, tho
Shriners are screaming for a history Of
Turkey. and 1 feel II my duty to LEI
them have il, even IL 1 don't get any
thing out of it except. perhaps, few
university degrees handed to me by the
vigilant guardians of our eminent seats
of learning.
One reason I am willing to write q
history Of Turkey is because Turkey Is
in no condition to start a controversy
with me. 1 hate notoriety and would
declined to be drawn into a wordy war
fare with one whom / do not consider in
my class. That is why shall not write
a history of Japan. The Japanese are a
bumptuous people and would be sure to
pick flaws in my history and probably
bring on international complications.
shall try to avoid trouble with Japan,
although I may say in justice to myself
that I am not running from 1t.
Well. TO write a history of Turkey re-
quires first a few lines concerning Mo-
manned. Mohammed antedated Turkey
by about six centuries, but he is mex
tricably bound up in Turkish history. 1t
was in A. D. 81 that Mohammed was
born at Mecca, the capital of Arabia 1
guess my readers know where Arabia
is II not no matter. I am not very
strong on geography myself. In early
manhood Mohammed got a Job as stew
ard for a rich widow named Kadijah.
He was a good steward, but his salary
was small and he was not very well
satisfied. often he thought of going West
and growing up with the country, but
the West was wild, and Mohammed had
little appetite for pioneering. He was
of a pensive, poetic nature and used
often to spend whole nights fat on his
back on his sleeping porch watching the
moon and stars. Presently he had a
vision which, he said. was inspired from
read command TO found and spread
a new religion. Religion was at heavy
discount in Mecca at that time. The
people were mostly idolators and had
little regard for the feelings of even their
wooden gods. The influence of Jewry
and Christianity, although both had their
native seats nearby in Palestine, had
ruffied the surface of Asia, but
Mohammed was evidently acquainted
with the principles of both religions, and
he made Mohammedanism akin to each;
also, he added a lot of doctrine that was
sui generis. You can find sui generis
in the back part of any good dictionary.
Mohammed's vision embraced both
temporal and spiritual authority. He
first set up as a religious prophet,
though he lacked means and influence.
But he was so braced up by his slight
gain on public notice that he was en-
boldened on propose marriage to Kadijah.
the lady for whom he worked. She ac-
cepted him. prophets being of consid-
erabl honor in their own country at that
time. Besides. Kadijah wasn't as young
as she had been. and Mohemmed was a
suave courtier. After his marriage Mrs
Mohammed let him have money enough
to push his propaganda. He secured a
number of recruits, enough to make a
parade behind a leather
headed drum. and by virtue of repeated
visions Mohammed was soon able to
promise his followers sufficient induce
ments to gain for him a considerable
rollUTinP. People have always been ready
10 engage in religious wars. and soldiers
in those days might be hired for their
board and clothes. In few years Mo-
manned was a person of immense con-
Practically all Asia Minor
came under his sway, and when he died |
NJ left an empire to his successor in the
taliphate: also ne left number of |
weeping widows. he having been unkind |
enough to supplant the trustful Kadijah, |
who was old-fashioned. with several
sprightly soubrettes who could do the |
turkey trot.
Religion and Politics.
Mohammed began as a reIigionist. but |
soon united church and state. He not
'nly claimed the right to dictate the 1
politics of his country; he made good at |
After his earthly regime was over |
he Caliphs became all-powerful. and |
'oon had everything in sight coming
heir way. They gave orders to the Sui
an and the Grand Vizier and the Cadis |
Ind the Tax Collectors and the Superin-
endent of Public Instruction. In the |
curse of time the Caliphate and the
'ultanate became combined. and it has
70 remained to this day. The Sultan is
lot only temporal ruler of the Turks,
'ut their spiritual head as we'll The
'heik-ul-lslam, who recently was report-
d az having called the MosIems to a |
holy war" is chief deputy in the re-
gious department
Among the tenets of. Mohammed's
eligion was one which assured every
aithful soldier slain in battle an i'm
1eolate translation to paradise. And |
he Mohammedan paradise was one in
rhich the cost of living was taken
are of by orchards that were never
arren. sluices of milk and honey that
ever dried up, and stacks of batter
axes that never grew cold Besides,
very Mohammedan in paradise was
utfitted with seventy wives, each
lore beautiful than the other, and not
suffragette in the bunch. With DEATH
nering all that sort of thing Moham-
led's soldiers were not afraid to die.
hey were all candidates for death, in
act, and the result was that they won
bout all the battles they went into.
believing that in any event they could
OF lose. they were well nigh invinci-
lie. Mohammed didn't pay his SOL
iers much wages, they being abund-
ntly satisfied with promissory notes,
to speak, and they enjoyed nothing