Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-04-11
Costumed Turk, Resting in Favorite
Nook of His Mosque"

TN command Of French gunboat, part of the great
allied feet now bombarding the Dardanelles forts
which guard Constantinople Pierre Lott is fight
ing his beloved Turks-attacking his Second father
land"
For Pierre Lott fight the Turks is one of the
astonishing minor spectacles of the Here
tofore, for nearly quarter of century this French
naval officer the excellence of whose literary works
made him OF the forty immortals of the French
ACADEMY has missed opportunity to defend the
Turk against the criticism Of the rest OF the world.
The virtues of the Turk forth with captivating
eoquence many pages OF mis- books. In his house
Rochefort. France, his favorite Is a duplication
in detail OF Mohamnaedan mosque. His most af-
feced house costume is that of Turkish gentleman.
He has villa in STEAMBOAT, where he has lived for
months at time during many years
All the literary and political world knew that Pierre
Lott loved the TUrks-and now he Is fighting them.
He is sixtyfve years old and retired from the
navy some years but when, against all the force
OF his peadngs, Turkey became Gernany'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 real name His conscience clear for If the mis-
guided country OF his afectonate 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 Rochefort has the plainest OF
eSterlofs but ITS vast interior breathcs in every
the spirit OF the East During the many years while
he combined the duties of somewhat obscure French
naval officer with the vocation OF ttcrateur-,ne of
the most highly esteemed of modern times-he not
only visited all the Oriental countries but in success
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.
Helous relics or all his temporary Oriental homes he
lo'ed pest Constantinope. SO. when he transformed
the interior Of his Rochefort home the room which
he made over into a Mohammedan !nosu1,e-down IN
the smallest detail-naturally became his favorlte
sanctuary.
Here, after his retirement from the navy he spent
MS most contented hours, atired Turkish gentle.
man Pierre Lott vas always a lover OF solitude
Even when old friends visited him he wonld NOT in
terrupt his medatioDs for hours would sit silent
cross-egged on cushion planning new and fasci.
mating literary AraDesqucs Attrcd Indian prince
when the spirit OF that country moved him. he would
go 'hrongh 'he same silent ceremony In the room
transformed into the interior Of an Indian temple
i'nt MS most exalted Oricntal-itcrary moods
would see him in his Egyptian room in cos,ne and
pose !mpeTsonating the ancient Egyptian deity Horus
AT such times the only thing un- Egyplan about him
was his heavy, black mustache. and his wide.open
dark eyes, which |. always TO be ,hr,stinp hs
vision deep into Eastern mysteries
In the case OF Turkey and the Turks howcvor bis
interest vas much closer. human lie loved IN.
iu'hs SO much mat al one stage Of his career the
french Government transferred his naval command N
station as FAR away possible from Consantinonle
1t was feared that his passion for actually living the
lives OF his Oriental heroes get him into serops
trouble.
When his romance. "Aziyadc." appeared and ,,,noa
him at once into fame, it narveIled that ne could
nave had the experiences therein portrayed without
attracting characteristic Turkish anilnosity .s bio
own hero he told the story Of the hero's love for
o'rcasslan beauty and his Ruthless scarce for her
among the streets OF ancient S,ambol