South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-06-16

TN command of a French gunboat, part of the great
I allied feet now bombarding the Dardaneles forts
- which guard ConstantinOple, Pierre Lott is fight
ing his beloved Turks-attacking his second father
land"
For Pierre Lott to fight the Turks is one of the
most astonishing minor specacles of the war. Here
tofore for nearly quarter of century, this French
naval officer the excellence Of whose literary works
made him one of the forty immOrtals of the French
Academy, has missed opportunity to defend the
Turk against the criticism Of the rest of the world
The virtues the Turk forth with captivating
eloquence many pages Of his books In his house at
Rochefort France his favorite room is a duplication
in detail of q Mohammedan mosque. His most af-
fected house costume is that of Turkish gentleman
He has villa in StambOul, where he has lived for
months time during years.
All the literary and political world knew that Pierre
Lott loved the Turks-and he is fighting them.
He is sixty-fve years old and retired from the
navy some years ago. but when, against all the force
OF his pleadngs, Turkey became Germany's ally in
this war his patriotism was for France, however
much he loved the Turks. He applied for command
in the navy and is once Captain Julien Viaud-
his real name His conscience is clear for if the mis-
guided country of his ctionate adoption had not
been loved and lured away by the Kaiser his French
patriotism would not have compelled him to rebuke
her with shells from his gunboat
One reason why Pierre Lott loves the Turks is be-
cause he adores everything Oriental and mysterious.
His ancestral home Rochefort has the planest Of
exterors but its interior breathes in every room
the spirit of the East During the many years while
he combined the duties Of somewhat obscure French
naval officer with the vocation of Htterateur-oue of
the most highly esteemed of modern times-he not
only visited all the Oriental countries but in
sion lived the lives of their people.
From India, from Japan, from China, from Egypt
and from Turkey he brought home wealth OF native
costumes, rugs tapestries. furniture, household i'm
plements architectural designs historical and
lgious relics OF all his temporary Oriental homes he
loved best Constantinople SO, when he transformed
the interior Of his Rochefort lone the which
he made over into a Mohammedan uosque-down to
the smallest detai-naturaly became his favorite
sanctuary.
Here after his retirement from the navy, he spent
his most contented hours attred Turkish gentle
man. Pierre Lott always lover of solitude.
Even when old friends visited him he would not in
terrupt his medatons but for hours would sit silent
crosslegged on a cushion, planning new and fasci-
mating literary Arabesques Attired Indian prince
when the spirit of that country moved him. he would
go through the same silent ceremony in the room
transformed into the interior Of Indian temple.
But his most exalted Orentalliterary moods
would see him in his Egyptian ROOM in cost lme and
pose impersonang the ancient Egyptian deity Horus
AT such times the only thing un-Egyptian about him
his heavy, black mustache, and his vGc-open'
dark eyes which setL ed always to be thrustiIg his
vision deep into Eastern mysteries
In the of Turkey and the Turks however, his
interest was much closer, more human. He loved the
Turks so much that at one stage Of his career the
French Government transferred his naval command to
a station far away as possible from Constantinope
II feared that his passion for actually living the
lives Of his Oriental heroes would get him into serious
trouble.
When his romance. "Aziyade," appeared and jumped
him at into fame, it was marveed that he could
have had the experiences therein portrayed without
attracting characteristic Turkish animosity. AS his
own hero he told the story OF the hero's love for
Cireassian beauty and his fruitless search for her
among the streets OF ancient StambouL