The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-04-10

TN command of a French gunboat. part OF the great
Il allied feet bombarding the Dardanelles forts
= which guard Constantinople Pierre Lott is Tight
ing his beloved Turks-attackins his second father
land"
For Pierre Lott to fight the Turks is of the
most astonishing minor spectacles of the 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
virtues OF the Turk set forth with captivating
eoquence many pages of his books In his house at
Rochefort France. his favorite room Is dup'sation
in detail OF a Mohammedan mosque. His most at
fected house costume is that OF Turkish gentleman
He has a villa in STEAMBOAT, where he has lived for
months a time during many years.
All the literary political world knew that Pierre
Lott loved the Turks-and he is fighting them
He is sixty-hve years old and was retired from the
navy years but when. against all the force
OF his pleadings Turkey became Germany's ally in
this war. his patriotism for France. however
much he loved the Turks. He applied for a command
in the navy. and is once Captain Julien Viaud-
his His conscience is clear. for II the mis-
guided country Of his anectonate 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 at Roehefot has the painest OF
exteriors but its interior breathes in every
the spirit OF the East During the many years while
he combined the duties a somewhat obscure French
naval officer with the vocation of litterateur-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
PIGMENTS architectural designs and historical and re-
lgious relics. or all his temporary Oriental homes he
loved best Constantnople. SO. when he transformed
the interior Of his Rochefort home the room which
he made over into a Mohammedan mosque-down 10
the smallest detail-naturaly became HIS favorite
sanctuary.
Here after his retirement from the navy he spent
his conented hours. attlred Turkish gentle
Pierre Lott always lover Of solitude.
Even when old friends visited him he would not in.
terrupt his medtatons but for hours would SIT silent
cross-esged a cushion. planning new and fasc
mating literary Arabesques ALFRED Indian prince
when the spirit Of that country moved him, he would
60 through the silent ceremony in the room
transformed into the interior OF Indian temple.
But his most exalted Orientalliterary moods
would him IN his Egyptian room. in costume and
pose impersonatng the ancient Egyptian deity. Horus
AZ such times the only thing un-Egyptian about him
was his heavy, black mustsche and bis wdeopen
dark which sen. ed always 70 be thrustng his
vision deep into Eastern mysteries.
In the case Of Turkey aud the Turks however. his
interest much closer. more human. lie loved ths
Turks much that az stage Of his th'
French Government transferred his naval command q
station far away possible from Constant 'nope
II feared that his passion for actually living h'
lives Of his Oriental heroes would get him into serou
trouble.
when his romance. "Azyade" appeared and jlmpe,
him az once into fame 70 vas marvelled that he coul
have had the experiences therein portrayed Vithou
attracting Characteristic Turkish luminosity. As hi
hero he told the story % the hero's love Tor
Circassian beauty and bic fruiuess searci Tor he
among the streets OF ancient STEAMBOAT.