New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-28

T>O THE average American the Turk Is
swarthy cut-throat. waving scimtar
believing Allah" and wallowing in
the blood Of nfdel gaours. History is respon-
sible for the epthets terrible and "unspeak-
able" which have chung so tenaciously to the
popular conception Of the Ottoman that 1t
comes as rude shock to find the average Turk
a human being, and furthermore decidedly
"speakable."
During the recent British campaign in
Mesopotamis band Of Arabs, retaining all
their ancient notions Of warfare, proved
thorn in the flesh Of both the English and
Turkish forces. lowering about the TANKS of
both armies they would raid first one side and
then the other, choosing opportunities for Sc
curing the most plumber with the least risk to
themselves Those tactics naturally proved SO
annoying to both sides that one commander
sent his opponent the following message;
q am thoroughly tired of these Bedouin
robbers and their treachery. You must be
also. Let us. therefore, make truce with
one another for two or three days and mete
out TO these Arabs such punishment as will
put an end TO their tricks"
The author Of this unusual request was not
the British commander, but the "unSpeakable'
Turk The Turk who writes of this incident
does not add what answer given, but 1t is
safe 10 say that such sporting proposition
could not be turned down by true Britlsher
From the very entrance of Turkey into this
world war-a step respulsive to a people al
ready heartily sick of being drafted into the
ranks-the English press has taken differ
ent attitude toward their Turkish foes than
il has toward the Teutons. A cleaning of the
leading periodicals reveals countless incidents
Of the Turks chivalry as fighters and above
board methods when not under the direct OBJ
servation of their German officers.
81 have such admiration for the Turks
wrote a British officer serving in Mesopotama
10 THE London Morning Post" February Z,
"the pukka Turks, l mean, not the Kurdish
savages who butcher Armenians or the Bag
dad Turco-Arabs, that | wonder more and
more how they ever came into the German net.
They did a thing after Ctesiphon that COM
mands recognition.
"A bargeload of 800 Of our wounded stuck
in the mud. and with some medical personnel
on board haQ 10 De dDdHuOHeu' iHS "iN'
lowed the barge downstream, and under cover
of the white flag sent the whole lot, including
the medical personnel back to the British camp
unframed in any way.
81 know Of two wounded British officers left
out the night after the battle who were found
bv the Turks In both cases the Turks took
away all their equipment, haversack, belt, re-
volver. papers and field glasses, but both men
saw they were not harmed in any way. In the
case of one man they gave him water to drink,
loosened his coat and made him more comfort
able. They left both for our people to collect
the next morning. 1t is the Arabs who NAL
treat our wounded and commit all sorts Of
atrocities"
Recent dispatches from that far distant
front-so brief as to escape general notice
have disclosed the same attitude between the
lines Of the meagre official reports. After the
fall of Kut-e-Amara the Turkish commander
gave General Townshend back his sword.
Later reports announce the exchange OF DIS
abled prisoners, suggested by the Turks!
From another theatre of the war where the
Turks have been fighting comes the story OF
an incident of the common soldiers attitude