The Washington herald., 1915-04-11

7 the capture Of the city would not be
essential to the control Of the adjacent
of For w haynS sns de-
capitate the Turkish empire and leave
Constantinople helpless witness Of
turkish Tue eI government s might precipita ate
a reign Of chaos. which for q time
would gravely embarrass the allies.
taken its possession viii impose a
military burden which can be borne
only by an army of occupation ade-
Suate to keep order IN community
100000.
| II Constantinople Fell.
Soon or late. of course. Constantf-
nople. If stranded. must fall. And
great would be the fall thereof.
Assuming that epochal event Il Is
safe to foretell that Constantinople
will be the hard knot Of the problem
which will confront the nations of Eu-
| rope at the end Of the war. Who shall
have the plum over which empires
have ssNs Gua IdeI through some i've and
England. with her sea power. might
claim the privilege Of casting, the de-
self. For IL she took It. she would
sacrifice her insular advantage and
Within sarRns Distance of tRs
have to join in the wasting rivalry OF
career as mistress of the seas. She has
asked for only one spot on the map of
the European Continent. a few acres
been secure in the midst of enfeebled
Spain. Look at her other 400, 900
square miles of possessions and you
or desserts between them md epvious
With France in constantinople. Eng
ing point to her most persistent mari
time rival. while Russia would find
that. in exchanging gate-keePers. she
French for the weak and careless
Turk. Nor is it yet conceivable that
the lion will let his new mood of amia-
invite the bear to plant himself at the
head of the Mediterranean in close
proximity to the throat Of the British
content to take something else just
as goodr'
Turkey and TURKS.
page to inquire why not Turkey for
the Turks? The powers hardly would
assume the responsibility in this TWEEN
pampty on sse wall Of t constah mimpis
again should he fall now.
,b The truth Is b there is no Turkey for
Turks in either the European or Arr
can provinces. which already have
been snatched from the Sultan. His
frontier on the north has been driven
in until he has but a mere patch Of q
few thousand square miles Of Europe.
while ,1 none nne Of the grand DIVISIONS Of
Turkey belongs to tho Turks by right
Of q Turkish majority. Even among
is probably in a minority. as he Is In
the empire as q whole.
ces n s.sR Of waeR rae. CITY ayxe Is
apart. preserving its own customs.
speech and costumes. One may live
and do business there without speak
ONCE OH and the chances are that even
the Turkish official will prefer to
speak French. The domestic servants
are Greeks. Armenians and Croats: the
are Greeks. Aibsnians and Bulsars;
the workmen in the streets are most
likely to be Albanians I'D the men on
the docks Medeans. Few o.. OF these
ish language. Trade, except that Of
pedlers. is in the hands Of non-Turkish
people. Perhaps moro French. or Le-
vantine sort. than any other one Ian
suase II heard In the capital OF Tur-
After five centuries in Europe the
Turk still lives a. in q tent He has
evolved nS eis-:9n Of Of ne the swR
and has originated no literature or art
or science or law. When he goes no
monument Of his long. and slothful
reign will remain behind him
to the inscrutsbie future the answsr
10 these momentous Queaf3ons:
Altar the Turk. whomf
II Constantinopls fall what!
tcspyrisAs, MS ~ Jsna Nassn)