The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-16
KULYUR CONQUEST
OF TURKEY URGED
Frau Marquardsen Explains
How to Dust French and
English Books.
Special Correspondence to Tar Sry.

NpeCtut I OTTSspOWoSWNS 20 u SUI,
BERLIN tvia .Ameterdam). March 90
The ways in which to spread German
Kultur In Turkey are discussed In an ar
ticle by Frau Else MarQuardsen. a promi-
nent writer. in the Bookmem's
Bourse Gazette. This article has been
reprinted in the leading newspapers. The
writer. VINO has spent many years OF
study in Turkey. urges that German lit
erature would find a large n fertile
field for peaceful conquest" In the land
o. the Caliphate.
european civilization writes Frau
MarQuardsen. thus far has been spread
In Turkey largely by the French. 1t has
been confined chiefly to the ur0er classes.
French governesses beinr, the leading dis
seminators Of this so-called education.
Owing to the general prestige in the Near
East Of French as the conversations
language French literature OF the lighter
kind has been widely read in Turkey for
years.
England, too. has played a prominent
part In the field OF literature In the Near
East. Russia has done nothing. Italy
only little In that respect. Englandis in
fuence Was secured by the fact that
many Armenians wrote books for and
about Turkey in the English language.
THE German book must conquer Its
place In the sun In the Turkish Empire.
II must begin with the Turkish capital,
The number Of illiterates In the Orient
Ia even to-day very large; in the in
terror there Is at present no compulsory
school attendance: in fact. here the IL
iiterates generally still look with pity
upon the few literates.
"Constantinople. the strong and lively
heart of the Ottoman empire. must be
the starting point for the campaign OF
German Kultur. In endeavorlng to
{ a scinate the interest Of the circles sus
ceptible to literature and direct it from
the contemporary French literature to
that Of Germany It must be remembered
that the Ottoman has a childlike. simple
mind, dependent for It's "nourishment'
since tho earliest youth upon the
wonderfully picturesque reproduction OF
fairy tales M hero legends through
i%tinerant narrators.
For that reason French literature
does not really appeal to the Turk. He
reads the French productions because he
knows the language and because he can
get plenty of French books which he
can read and understand easily. Here
Is a vital point-the books must he easily
readable. 1t goes without saying that
books destined for Turkey must be
printed in Roman letters, not in herman
script.
"in these books emphasis must be laid
upon the things which the Ottomans
have inherent and In common with us /:
Cleanliness Of inner and outward man
in all questionse of the body n the
soul patriotism. belief In fairy tales.
faith in God and longing for heaven.
Over all this there must hover the atmos-
phere Of the genuine. harmless, innocent
child's mind.
Cheerful Dooks must ts placed 9 IL tho
Turkish market. books In whose cheerful
ness there must nevertheless lie a deep
meaning.
"Besides. the German books must,
above all, try to teach the Turks a better
conception of woman. wOman's life and
her position in the community. Paris
productions do not do this. To convey
TO the Turks a proper conception OF the
life and functions of German women
would be m~eritorious and promising OF
good results. though very difficult. as It
must be taken into consideration that
woman and love take an entirely differ.
ent place In the Oriental life than they
do with the Europeans. But II the Turk
obtains Q true idea of tho German woman
that idea will serve him better than ans
other knowledge In absorbing our prin.
ciples ano doctrinss."