The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-11-01
MAGAZINE FEATURES
BY HENRY M~ORGENTHAU.

ihs, he had picked up enough French
10 converse tolerably In that
physically he was a striking figure,
ms powerful frame, his huge sweeping
I 4 ana ms rocky biceps emphasized
tuat natural mental strength and force
lulness which had made POSSIBLE hIs
TaIeer' In discussing matters Talaat
liheu TO sit ut his desk. with hts
snouluers drawn up, his head thrown
oSck n his wrists. twice the size
W an ordinary mans, planted firmly
H. ny taple; II always seemed to me
,hnt II would take q croRbar to Dry
Shese wrists from the board. once Ia.
iaat 3 strength and defiant spirit had
lS'u mem there. Whenever thin.
~ iAisAt now, ] do not primarily re-
Cail MS r~oliCking laugh, his uproarious
smSoyinent OF a good story. the mighty
hls ftcrceness, his determination. his
,elnorselessness-the whole life and ma
gigantic wrists. d" '""Se
Lalaat, X most strong men, had bis
i~orplIdlng, even his ferocioua moods
, wnIo Iay l0uhd him sitting at the uR-
ua' pace, his massive shoulders drawn
up MS eyes ElowerinE, his wrists plant
eu Q me desk, always anticipated
trouble whenever ! found him in thls
Hltltude. A | made request after ro-
quest', Ialaat, between his puffs AT
",S SisarsIie' would answer mol"
! slipped around to his side of the
Il think those wrists are making all
me trouble, your eNoellencv," said
,Mo9t you please take them off the
Talaat's ogre-lfke face began N
Srinkle, he threw up his arms, leaned
PACK, ana gave a roar OF terrific laugh
Ter He enjoyed this method OF treat.
ing MN so much that he granted every
request made,
At anther time I came Into hts room
when two Arab princes were present.
Talaat was solemn and dlgnified, and
refused every demand / made. NO, |
h a. not do that" or, "No, | haven't
the slightest idea Of doing that" he
would answer, ] saw that he was try
Ing to Impress his princely guests;Nto
show them that he had become so great
a man that he did not hesitate to turn
down an ambassador. So | came up
nearer and spoke quietly.
Il see you are trying to make an
Impression on these princes" | said.
Now II it's necessary for you to pose,
90 II with the Austrian ambassador
he's out there waiting to come in. My
affairs are too important TO be trIfled
with"
Talaat laughed. "Come back IN an
hour" he said. | returned, the Arab
princes had left, and VIC had no dun.
culty IN arranging matters TO my sat
isfaction.
Some ono has got to govern Tur.
key; why not we?" Talaat once said
to me, The situation had just about
come 10 that. II have been greatly
disappointed" he would tell me, 'at
the failure OF the Turks to appreciate
democratic institutions, | hoped for 1t
once, and ] worked hard for it-but thoy
were not prepared for IT," lie saw a
government which the first e%uterprisinS
man VINO am along might seize, and
he determined 70 be that man. OF all
the Turkish politicians whom I met !
regarded Talaat as the only one who
really had extraordinary native ability.
He had great force and dominance. the
ability to think quickly and accurately,
and An almost superhuman insight into
mon y motives, His great Eeniality and
his lively sense OF humor ALSO made
him n splendid manager of men, He
showed his shrewdness In the measures
which he took, after the murder Of Ma
zim, to gain the upper hand In this
distracted empire, He did not seize
the government all at once, he went
AT u gradually, feeling his way, He
realized the weaknesses Of his position;
he had several forces to deal with
the enYy OF his associates on tho reyo-
lutlonary committee which had backed
him. the army, the foreign governments,
and the several factions that made up
what then passed for public opinion III
Turkey. Any OF these elements might
destroy him, politically and physically,
He understood the dangerous path that
he was trcadinE. and he always anticl-
pnted a violent death; II do not expect
To die IN my bed" he told mo, ny he.
coming minister " tho interior, Talaat
gained control of tho police and tho
administration of tho provinces, or viii
layets; this gave him "A great amount
of patronage. which he used to
strengthen the power of tho commit
toe. He attempted to gain the support
of all influential factions by gradually
placing their representatives In the 9th
or cabinet posts. Though he afterward
became tho man who was chiefly re-
sponsible for the massacre Of hundreds
OF thousands Of ~Armenians, at this time
Talaat maintained the p%retense that the
committee stood for the unionizatiun OF
all the races In the empire, aud for
this reason his first cabinet contained
an Arab Christian, a peunne IA Jew
by race. but n |Mohamuledan by re-
ligion), n tircassian, an Armenian and
an Egyptian.
lie made tho latter grand vlzlcr, the
highest post In the government, n post
ton which roughly corresponds to that
Of chancellor In the German empire,