The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-12-19
N.wly, Created Minister Of Islam L.
First Plan to Offset German
Efforts to Establish
Herself.
AFTER THE WAR ENDS
Franco Has Made Wonderful Pro0reso
In tho Mussulman Colonies
In the Past Few
Years.
rUnited Press Correanondancel

UNITED Press CorrespondenceJ
PARIS, Nov. 30. (by maiD--The en-
larging of the present French cabinet
to include a newly created Minister
of Islam. is Frances first plan to off (
set Germany's efforts to establish
herself as the worldwide PROTECTOR
champion and ally Of Mohammedan-l
ism.
Two bills to this end have Just
been deposited in the French cham
Der of deputies. They are admitted
by their hackers to be the first trum-
pet blast In new struggle between
Germany and the allies. The clash II
expected the moment the present CON-
flict ends.
All Of the allies. It is declared, have
awakened to the possibility of new.
future German menace which the
present war may be powerless to
avert. The kaiser's present thrust In
to the Balkans to solidify his alliance
with Turkey Is what has given Rise
to the sudden concern about Islam.
France, in the step she is about to
take, is said to be in full accord with
her allies. Should she decide on the
creation OF minister of Islam, .
similar step probably would be talk
Even Serbia, which has a large Mus
sulman population in the territory
won from Turkey during the Balkan
wars. likely would follow the example
of her big protectors. Other measures
to enhance the friendship OF Islam
would follow.
The Mohammedan colonies pos
sessed by France. England, Russia
and Italy constitutes the future mem
ace to- the allies. Even II they ara
able to impose on Germany q peace
that would render her powerless to
precipitate another conflict, her pow
err to do harm through her Turkish
and Islamatic alliance would be unirn-
paired. Germany. 1t Is admitted,
could hardly have selected more
vulnerable point for future injury to
her enemies. Her attempt to connect
with Turkey while she still has the
power to, is construed in France evil
dence that she fully appreciates her
advantages.
The appeal which the allies pro-
pose to make to their Mohammedan
colonies will be a vastly different one
from that held by the kaiser. The
French say he at all times has sought
to gain the support of the Islamatio
world by holding out to them the daz-
zIing idea of Pan-Islamism, one 81
the favorite conceptions of Abdul-Ha-
mid; and that he has appealed to all
Of their fanatical tendencies In an eff
fort to secure their armed support.
The kaiser has been in particulars
~ happy position to do this because,
Germany possesses no Mohammedau
colonies, or at least none OF import.
ancs. England. Russia, France and
Italy have spent millions in the de-
velopment of their Mussulman de-
pendencies.
They probably cannot offer any
promise Of rehabilitation Of the Mus.
sulman world on its old basis, but
they feel that they can appeal to tho
better class Of Mohammedans by
showing that they can give them
degree OF civilization and material
progress and development never be-
fore attained by any Mussulman peo-
pie. This is to be the basis on which
the allies will take up the struggle to
keep the predominating influence in
the Islamatic world, which after the
present European war ends, they con-
cede could still remain, through Ger
man control, another menace to peace
NJ. Paul Bluysen, author of one OF
the projects in the French chamber
of deputies for a minister Of Islam,
is considered the most likely aspirant
to whom the portfolio might go
should the ministry be created.
Not one of the least considerations
put forward by M. Bluysen for the
creation of the proposed minister of
Islam. is the fact that with the end OF
the present war. the allies may find
themselves not only with Constanti-
nople. but large amount of contigu-
Gus Mussulman territory on their
hands. This increase in the Islamatic
possessions of the allies would JUS
tify more than ever a minister to
whom every question concerning Is.
lamism would be referred
Had France created this ministry
before the present war, 1t is asserted
that Turkey and Persia might have
been kept at the side of the allies.
France feels that she had made
wonderful success in the management
Of her Mussulman colonies in AL
geria, Tunis, Madagascar, Djibouti,
Conores, French India and Indochina.
The manner in which the native Mo-
hammedan regiments have come TO
France to fight side by side with tho
French for the conservation of la
patria. is regarded they wish to In.
sure future peace.
Even were the allies to succeed IN
the present conflict to the fullest
limit of their intentions, they conceds