Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-04-03
WOMEN OF TURKEY
NUl run SUFFRAGE
Three Young Things, All Unveiled,
Enlighten Newspaper Men on
How Things Run.
MANY ANXIOUS FOR EDUCATION

tONEIANIlNOBBE, MarCh SO.-lntef-
viev ing three you~g Turkish women in
Constantinople college, The Associated
Pr, 80 correspondent was told by them
that the educated Turkish woman Of to-
d'y knew more o. America than Ameri-
cans generally knew OF Turkey.
The interview was remarkable for the
"a { that the three Turkish girls were
allowed TO appear without the traditional
30 S. Louise Wallace. one of the Ameri-
can women In charge at the institution.
who had arrau ed the interview. had ad-
viscd the young women to put on the
voils without which they never venture
into the presence OF men. but the three
representatives of feminine Young Tur-
key tn u ut they could meet American,
without hiding their faces.
Accordingly Efzaish Hanim, Semiha
Hamin and Hattie Hamin were ushered
into Miss wallace's office to meet the
American newspaperman. The girls were
not sisters, the name Hanim not being
the family name, but the Turkish eauiva-
lent for lady. Tho young women de-
cllned 90 have their family names men
toned, but were eager 70 embrace the
opportunity OF talking to a representative
Of the American papers. who, they
lnOuknNs nlknl lluu tolho HtNs ~ t'A'
present position OF women in Turkey.
she Talks md smiles.
Lady Efzaish was the most alert OF
the three and did most of the talking. She
punctuated her remarks with pleasant
SMILES. She explained that while life had
many serious aspects. she was inclined TO
look on the bright side OF things, AZ
school she had something OF a reputation
oF at 10 no
companions. she was young woman OF
charming manners. All three spoke Eng
lish with ease. while Miss Efzaish used
Amerlcsnlsm with delightful grace.
They also spoke French and German. be-
side their native language.
Hattie Hanim was taking an advanced
history and sociology course; Efsaish
HanIm was absorbed in science exclu-
sively. and semiha Hanim studied his
tory and science.
THE young Turkish woman Is very
eager TO get better educated" said Miss
Icfzaish with eagerness She thought
that the women of Turkey were the SUI
periods OF their brothers in that respect.
MANY OF our men are still somewhat
Indifferent 20 education. but conditions
are improving. The new regime is doing
everything possible to catch UP. So far.
however, the schools for the girls have
been sighted little The boys schools
are much better and, / believe. really
good. But we hope that within few
years the girls will have the same chance
as the boys.
Harem stiII Exists.
''some time ago one OF our UNIVERSITIES
started course OF lectures for wSnen,'
remarked Miss Semiha. The rush for
admission was so great that many failed
to get the opportunity they sought. The
lectures are given by the professors. who
teach the men, which take to be one
OF the many signs that the seclusion Of
the Turkish woman Is nearing its end.
Most OF us still wear the veil. Of course,
hut the condition which once existed in
Turkey may be considered as of the past.
You will still find more yelled women in
Constantlnople than you will in the
provinces, where very few women are In
seolusion today.
"Of course. the harem IL stu in ex-
istence; but believe that its days are
counted wish TO correct very plpu-
lar error concerning the harem. 1t IS
generally believed that the hlrem is
Mohammedan institution. II is not. As
we know the harem. It is entirely otto
man and was first a Greek inst tuition.
When the ottomans took Con- tantinople
ey found the harem right here"
No tendency toward modern feminism
was manifested by the young women
Miss Efzaish said that this was far from
her mind Miss Hattie did not seem TO
be interested even in the question put TO
her on the subject.
Not I'm Need of naIIOt.
THE women OF Turkey have more to
do right now than occupy themselves
with equal suffrage and the like. In
fact, we do not need such a movement.
TN Turkey the woman has the same
personal and property rights as the man.
We are hedged in by old conventions and
customs. instead OF legal and political
handioAps imposed by our men. have
every right any man in Turkey has. with
this exception. The man can divorce his
wife by merely telling her TO go. while
the woman must bring a lawsuit. But
even here We are batter off than some
women.
Tn England for instance, a woman can
secure a divorce on Just one ground; all
we have to do is to show that life with
the man we wish TO divorce is not agree
able. The woman OF Turkey is better off
in that respect than many others What
we need is not political equality with our
men, but better education. We are slowly
getting that. Meanwhile We are not try
ing to invade the business and industrial
world OF our country. There are men
enough TO do that work
In Need OF Education.
THE women Of Turkey need education
for the purpose OF lettering that OF tho
men and improving life generally"
The three young women were great
patriots. They wanted their country To
he treated fairly. Turkey had its faults.
they said. But It's people wero not so bad
as they had been made out to be. They
| thought that in the past their country
had been the prey Of all because the
| powers OF Europe had been too jealous To
have 1t become the prey OF one.
Miss Efzaish welcomed German influ-
ence in Turkey. The Germans were
/ very efficient people she thought. But
Turkey would win in the end and work
out its own solutions OF the problems be-
| fore its people.
| Thus the interview ended The woman