The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-19
THE ultimate cause as well m

TIME ultimate cause as we'll ns
the Ultimate object OF this
war is Constantinople. Had
Europe settled the status Of Con-
stantinople after the war in 1879,
rs it could have and should have done.
the Balkan problem would have been
almost entirely removed, and with II
the likelihood of such occurrences as
the immediate cause for the present
war. Similarly. until Constantinople
Is so disposed of as to be nov
from the list of the worlds great
prizes. to be contested for by any
nation who finds it in the pathway to
world domination, that superb city
will continue to menace Europe with
the CHASTITY prospects of another
perhaps a Wordsworth war.
The sensation of living in Constan-
tinople during the first year of the
war has been like tina of floating
helplessly within remote reach of two
monstrous octopuses. First the ten
tacles of one and then the tcntacles
OF the other we felt tightening upon
us. At present the golden city of the
Padishahs is in an inextricable tangle
OF their folds.
The first touch we felt when on n
sultry Sunday afternoon in midsum-
mer came the dull beat OF n drum
that peculiar syncopated peat Of the
Turkish music-accompanicd by a
hoarse cry Of the beKji (watchman)
calling to arms the classes of reserves
from rs to 40.
Night and day the call to arms was
repeated. Poor wretches-Greeks,
Armenians. as we'll as Turks-were
dragged from hiding to serve their
dearly hated country. The only escape
was by the payment of 43 Turkish
liras tsl93) for exemption. Some had
already paid this sum three times in
the last five years.
My cook was one such. He besought
me to shield him. So l did until the
oapitulations that from early Byzan-
tine times have made the foreigners
home in Turkey his castle were sud
denly abolished. Then l had to tel
the poor fellow that my house was
subject to search.
To make the situation more acute
that very day the penalty of deatf
was placed upon dcsertion. Clearly he
must give himself up. l offered to pay
his exemption. but the time had al
ready elapsed. We parted in IN af'
fecting exchange Of farewells.
1t was something of a shock to me
therefore, when within a week h,
stood at my door again all smiles
With Levantine shrewdness he hal
starved himself for several days be
fore surrendering to the au
thorities-he looked badly enough
under the most prosperous condition
and had no difficulty in proving Il
the satisfaction of the enlisting Off
GERS his unfitness both mental ant
physical.
lie il now cooking again at regular
pay and telling what wonders he di,
while he was in the army.
Not all were so fortunate. 1t was tn
evident and very natural purpose o
the authorities to force the exemption
price from the Christian population
wherever possible, and to enlist mostl,
Mohammedans. Not many were a
successful as my cook in evading tn
regulations.
From the start Germany was Il
control of the destinies OF h unluck,
Ottomans. Not, to be sure. withou
opposition. There vas as Away
much inertia and vacillation to b
In Enver Pasha and Talaa
pasha, Minister of Wal and Ministe
OF the Interior and by far the mos
powerful personalities in the empire
Germany had stanch vassals WHOM
she could and did upon wit
perfect confidence. From the yer
first days of the var even the cen
soring OF the news vas Germanophil,
Then came the Goeben and Bresla
stroke that put the relations betwee
Turkey and Germany beyond doub
No more cleverly c%ontrived act OF d
plomacy Is conceivable. Baron vo
Wangerheim, the cool. keen minded
unimpassioned Ambassador OF III
Kaiser at the Sultan's court. ha
achieved his masterpiece.