The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-10-20

The poor ii Turkey find il hard Il keep
themselves alive. The only reason many of Them DO
manage live in The cities is because the govern
mcnt allows each iuhahitant hall i pound of
bread day. for which thn recipient has 10 pay
two cents Somehow or other they an manage
{" gel their TWO cents i day. Then there
soup Kitchens run ~ the American Red cross
the Turkish Red Crescent the Jewish Charities
commission, The Greek Patriarch, and other Socc-
ties. Some soup Kitchens give food free; others
sell ;t cost price.
There are now no dogs in the streets Of Con
>antnupl". Time WH> when they acted as Scav-
cnSerS hut now there is surplus left around
To eat. The people save their last crust. There
are no bones. The dogs not shot used for
military service, they off semi
desert island in the Of Marmor;t and have
undisputed sway Of its barren shores.
The government makes free distribution Of
beans, cheese and olives the families Of sol
dlerS. but this support is doled OUT in dribletS.
Destitute families among the civilian population
also get supplies free from some of the charitable
organizations but before the war one never heard
Of men and women dropping dead from starvation
in the streets. Even now it Is comparatively rare.
but deaths from malnutriton and lack of
sistance to even mild diseases are not uncommon.
People weakened by lack of food fall easy prey
to ailments which in normal times would not be
serious.
The aspect of ConStautinope has changed con
Ousy enough, 1t has immensely improved. and
from which is entirely unrelated to
political conditions. 1t happened that during
the first year of the unusually capable
and honest man was mayor of COnstantinople-
Djem Pasha the foremost surgeon in Turkey.
He went to work the city If 1t had been
diseased human being and performed surgery on
the streets. He cut out and removed unhealthy
sluIns and widened and relaid streets he paved
streets and cleaned streets and made parks and
open breathing places. He got the telephone
system completed and the street car system cleo
trifed. In 1915 he resigned because of trouble
with the government and went to Switzerland
where he had been educated Later he made his
peace with the powers that be and is back
in Constantinople.
Germany Dominates Turkey.
How far Germany seeks to dominate Turkey
not only in military but also in civil matters
may best be shown by the fact that Berlin in
sisted part of the recent treaty with the
Sublime Porte. upon the reorganization OF the
court system and the abolition of the religious
tribunals. This means a profound modification
of the Mohammedan political and civic system
along German lines.
The L. s. S. Scorpion is interned in CONSTANT
nople for the duration Of the war. There are
only three officers and sixty men on board. Per
mission for shore leave under proper restrictions
is not denied by the Turkish authorities.
The wonder Of wonders III Constantinope is
that women workers are beginning to be
Woman'S first step toward emancipation through
work in Turkey was brought about by Ameri-
can invention-the telephone. "HcllO girls were
first employed Then the city got permission to
use women as street SWcepPrS-f they could
sweep the houses, why couldn't they sweep the
streets? Then the post office went short OF men
and q few women used letter SorterS.
There are also Turkish women employed hos
~ n in no kitchen
Although Turkey is virtually dominated by Ger
many in military matters, the Turks do not love
The Germans In the estimation of the gentle
Turk the German lacks tact and delicacy. Teu-
tonic ability energy. initiative and capacity are
admired and genuinely respected. but the Turk
and the German do not mix any more than oil
and water Yet Germans are everywhere in Tur-
key and are almost falling over themselves in
Constantnople There are German officers, Ger
man military experts. German civil advisers,
German educators-for Germany IS paying par
tcular attention to the education of the rising
generation of young Turks. Even the Germans
put in military officer adviser TO the Turkish
police headquarters. The Turks somewhat re-
scented that
The Turkish police system is about the best
organized thing they have in Turkey. Here the
Oriental love of intrigue give Itself full play
and as for astuteness and "fnesSe," the Turkish
secret service is not to be beat. II has more
weird and curious devices, more strange and
secret methods than the mathematical mind Of
German efficiency dreamed Of.
The legal limit for Molammedans is four wives.
As a matter Of fact most of them get along with
one There are OF course. old-faShoned
reactionares who insist upon their legal matr
monial complement. and few p"or men who want
Il servant and cann". AFFORD one, These marry