New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-20
Young Ruler Denies Ills
Country Fought to
Aid Kaiser.
RUSSIA AND BRITAIN
FORCED THE ISSUE
General Declares InvaSions ana
Attacks Were Borne to
Last Moment.

Constantinople, April l9.-"l am glad
you asked that question. This Is not
\ war of the Turkish government, but
n war Of the Turkish people, sara
Enver Pacha, the most remarkable man
in Turkey. who is, at the age Of thirty
three wears, War Minister and Cen
eralissimo Of the Ottoman Army 70 the
Associated Press correspondent IN the
first interview ever given to the Amer
"iIndoubtedly the world finds DIM
entity in understanding that the turkey
of to-day is no longer the turkey VI
the past. but that, nevertheless, Is d
fact which. should be apparent 70 az
impartial observers" he continued,
showing meanwhile the enthusiasm u
vouth. although it was almost IN
shamefaced manner that ne adrh'''eu
his light burden of years.
The worlds youngest COMMANDER IN
chief typifes the Young TURKS III IN IN
tellectual attainments and IDEAS ms
conversation with him was carried on
in German, and besides having tnor-
oueh command of the German ian
guage, he speaks excellent frehch'
Enver Pacha would be boylsh IN APP
nearance but for rather heavy brown
1pnnstache. Alert, frank eyes and pleas
inc manners make him delightful con-
veTsationalist. He has, moreover,
we'll deserved reputation for being the
bandsomest man in the Turkish army.
Not to Aid Kaiser.
"What are the exact reasons tor
Turkeys participating IN the war nc
you refer, no doubt" said Enver
pacha. Ito the assertions in the news,
naners of Great Britain, France ana
Russia that Turkey entered the war TO
help Germany. That is very true AT
this moment-not when we modified
To-day Austria Hungary and Germany
HELM us: we help them. But we mopH-
lied because there was no way out;
Long before we took this step Rus
STA had grown ugly on the BLACK sea
and in the Caucasus, invading our ter
ritorv there, while England had al
ready operated against Mesopotamla
and had concentrated a fleet before
the Dardanelles. We were unWllilhg
10 start the ball rolling, and even a1ter
the Russians attacked our fleet IN me
Black Sea we still waited one week
before war was declared.
ave knew that Turkey would again
he led to the slaughter block Beng
unwilling that this should happen, we
took the only course open. We Turks
feel that we have right to exist
esnecially when the best of US are
straining every effort and are catch
ing I'D with other countries IN intel
lectual and material Development l
believe that there is much good IN the
Turkish people, contrary to what our
traducers say. At any rate, we are
about to prove 1t.
Progress to BE Rapid.
"There was a time when Turkey Has
merely a government clique, which was
not trusted by the people, but gradu--
ally the people are beginning to fee!
that they themselves are Turkey.
think that this is the healthiest sign
here to-day, and there is also the
promise that the progress OF all civic
life will be rapid.
1--WE are taking care Of our troops to-
day. hence their loyalty. Formerly a
man was given a rife and had to shift
for himself as best he could. To-day
we see that his land is cultivated in
his absence. Each village has this sys-
tem-while man is at the front his
neighbors till his soil"