Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-02-12
Continued from Last week

When / thus located and coupled
up the chiefs of the French secret SER
vice with the situation in Constanti-
nople, | began quietly to cultivate the
acquaintance of the average Turkish
officer. | had to learn the tendency of
their thoughts. met officers and mer-
chants. administrators and students.
From them all | learned that they
were sick of the intrigues and wire
pulling of the harems. | learned Of
the discomfort of the Young Turk
party. | gathered that the time was
ripe for an oyerturning Of the govern
ment. In my report | made a correct
forecast of the trend Of affairs. drew
attention to Enver Bey, who was even
then considered clever, even danger
GUS, by the Grand Vizier. AS a most
aggressive Young Turk, they had SEPT
him to an obscure post in Thessalon-
ia, but upon sounding out the younger
officers l found that he was still re-
garded highly. Without doubt, my re-
ports, In addition to the reports made
by Won der COLI, the accredited Ger
man instructor of the Turkish army,
helped me to shape the policy Of the
German foreign office. l learned be-
yond all doubt that the Sultan Abdul
Hamid was nothing but a figurehead,
that the Grand Vizier, bought by
Russian and French gold. was running
the government in a way that was
antagonistic to German Influences and
that the swarms of demi-mondaines
in French and Russian pay were cor
rupting the higher Turkish officials to
their cause. ALI these things / includ-
ed In my report and after four months
! was back in Berlin.
What the Kaiser Set Out to Do.
To better understanding the diplo-
matte significance of this mission, /
shall recast the political situation. The
modern German policy in the European
Orient, inaugurated by Bismarck as a
defense and check against Russia, has
always been keen ON the friendship and
good will Of the Turk for reasons which
will be obvious enough later. During
the Caprivi chancellorship, the relation
between the two empires became
rather lax. Wilhelm II, with his keen
farsightedness, set about to remedy
this. In his usual spectacular, but in
most cases efficient, manne he went
with his royal consort in state to
Palestine, calling first on the Sultan.
The tremendously enthusiastic recep-
ton that the Moslem countries ac-
corded him is a matter of contempor-
airy history. This was really a master
stroke Of diplomacy although sharply
criticized at the time.
Until the kaiser's visit. France, with
more or less right, considered herself
protector general of all Mohammed-
ans. From now on this began to
change. The immediate result of the
emperor's visit was a close under
standing between the Wilhelmstrasse
and the Sublime Porte. The buying
of vast quantities Of guns, ammuni-
ton, and the influx of Prussian Off
GERS and drilling instructors, besides
huge orders of all sorts of German
goods was significant
The always uneasy Jealousy Of
France and Russia was at once
aroused. England, in this instance, not
taking any stand in affairs. England
had spent many lives and much
money. notably in the Crimean war,
to keep Russia out of Turkey and was
ayerse to encouraging Russo-French
influences at the Sublime Porte. How
Aow UTnoInn6 Dyos.II 1fLA ofAhA~ Har
many or France to acquire control of
the Dardanelles remains to be seen.
With Russia, 1t has been bloody wars
and grim struggles since the days of
Catherine the Great to gain control
of the Dardanelles. Unceasing in
ing on at STEAMBOAT. Russia's inf1u-
ence has been steadily undermined
by Germany, in Turkey and Asia
Minor.
The Result Of My Mission.
Germany, always including Austria
1.-THE external policy of both countries
on all these questions is synonymous).
found French-Russian influences at
work. Through their. marvellous, eff
cient intelligence system Germany
soon learned who were the prime NOV
ers and puppets; in this instance the
grand vizier and the seraglio officers;
the then sultan, Abdul Hamid. THE
Damned" being completely cowed and
under the thumb of his grand vizier.
could not be relied on for a moment.
After my mission they knew in Ger
many that the time was ripe for a
radical change and they engineered it.
Result: A revolution and the Young
Turks in power. with the Sultan ABB
dull Hamid in exile and Enver Bey,
Tuofick Pasha. Ibraham Mander Bey
and similar men, with German train
ing and leaning, directing affairs.
German regained complete sway and
is today easily the most powerful in
fiuence in Turkey.