The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-08

This is not merely my own personal
opinion. but Is the opinion of most
OF the remaining foreign residents and
the whispered opinion OF the retired
rulers of Turkey. the Conservative
men OF past days.
At the n Of June. when I left the
city. the undercurrent of discomfort
was so strong that now and then II
appeared on the surface. The impris-
onments and the executions are secret.
but I learned that about twenty men
were being shot every day for dis
agreeing with the authorities. and that
many more were being thrown into
prison.
In the beginning the war did not
come home 10 the people Of Constanti-
nople. The soldiers were modified
under German commanders. but the
city saw no signs OF battle. Now, with
the guns booming from the Black Sea
and from the Dardanelles, the subma-
rines blowing up ships n landings
In the Sea of Marmors and the con-
slant stream Of wounded men hlling
all the mosques and public buildings
the fact that Turkey Is at war has
become a reality TO the old man VINO
formerly passed his days quietly sip
ping his coffee and pulling at a mar
Chile. He finds that the foreigners
insist on a change in his age old habits
and hat his food costs him several
times as much as 1t did. Here is
the way the situation was expressed
privately to me by an old councillor.
n o.,. 4,,- rap ont
to fight and they are fighting we'll. but
they are fighting with foreign guns
and under foreign commanders against
an enemy who has never harmed us.
England has always been u friend
and has aided us. We have given up
every vestige of liberty just to waste
our men and our money in a quarrel
which does not concern us. 1t would
be different II we had something to
fight about. but we have no enemies in
this war and there is nothing which
we can gain excepting a lite terri
tory from Greece n Bulgaria, and 1t
is probable hat even this reward will
be taken from us because Germany
has already included II in bargains
with these Powers to keep them out
of the war. As far as ] can see Tur-
key Is Just a tool to satisfy the per-
sonal ambitions OF a group OF beardless
young men and to further the ends
Of Germany. II we win we will be a
province OF Germany. II we lose we
will have C~onstantonop.e and h ves-
tlges of Turkey in Europe taken away.
I can see nothing for Turkey to gain
in the wal and there are many more
maj, uphn thfnL uS ln h,tt MA ~ pnnf
speak our minds rs yet"
The sentiment adverse to the war
daily increases as the people grow In
the belief that they have been tricked
Ny their rulers into a German al
lance. 1t Is extending TO the man in
the street, and l heard Of several riots
n STEAMBOAT. The native %populace
were beginning to doubt the promises
and the tales of victory. They had
visions OF the city falling and they
we're almost panicstricken.
The excursions Of the submarines
into the Sea Of Marmora and up into
the Bosporus have caused the change
The people could not understand why
German omnipotence permitted these
lit g boats to sink ships of their very
doorsteps and to explode torpedoes
against the wharves. And the sub,
marine was a new thing: the Turks
know little Of warfare at sea. and the,
have always regarded the few war
ships In the Golden Horn as curiosities
rather than as part of the scheme Of
war.
Every day or two the submarine.
blow up something or other. The,
ha.,, stn,naJ avail VagGalo N Nom
mandeer provisions In this place on
day and the next day they turn NJ
many miles distant. ] do not know
how many ~ the boats are actual,
between the Dardanelles and Constan
tinople, but there must be several, ant
apparently they have come In to stay
The authorities apparently do no
know how TO deal with them. Patroli
Of launches fitted with small gum