The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-11-22
CHAPTER XII.
The Turks Attempt to Treat Alien
Enemies Decently, But the Germans
insist Upon PerseoutIna Them.

'ne urkS Attempt to Treat Alien
Enemies Decently, But the Germans
insist Upon Prosecuting Them.
Soon after the bombardment OF Odes-
va l was Closeted with Enver, discuss
ing the subject which was then upper
most In the minds of al the foreigners
IN Turkey. How would the govern
tnent treat Its resident enemies? Would
II Intern them, establish concentration
camps, pursue them with German NAL
lgnily, and perhaps apply the f~avorite
Turkish measure with Christians-tor-
ture and m~assacre2 Thousands of en-
envy subjects were then living in the
ottoman empire; many of them had
spent their whole lives there, others
had even been born on Ottoman soil.
All these people, when Turkey entered
the war, had every reason to expect the
harShcst kind of treatment, II is no
eNHggeratiOn to say that most Of them
lived in constant fear Of murder. The
Dardanelles had been closed, 50 that
there was little chance that outside
help could reach these people, the Cap-
ulatoTy sights under which they had
lived for centuries, had been abrogated.
There was really nothing between the
foreign residents and destruction except
the American flag. The state Of war
had now made me, as American m
bassador, the protector of all British,
French, Serbian and Belgian subjects.
| realized from the beginning that my
task would be n difficult one. On one
hand Were the Germans, urging their
well-known ideas of repression and bru-
tality while on the other were the
Turks, with their traditional hatred Of
Christians and their natural instinct to
mnltreat those who are helplessly
placed In their power.
Yet | had certain strong arguments
on my side and ! now had called upon
EnNcr for the purpose of laying them
before him, Turkey desired the good
after the war, to find support among
American finanCiers, At that time all
the embassies In CUnstanttnople took
It for granted that the United states
would be the peRcomaker; II Turkey
expected us to be her friend, | nov told
Enyer, she would have to treat enen9
foreigners in IA civilized way.
You hope to be reinstated as a
world power" | said. you must re-
member that the civilized world viii
cal ctully watch you, your future status
will depend on how you conduct your
self in war" Tho ruling classes among
the Turks, including Enver, realized
that the outside world regarded them as
a people who had no respect for the
saCredness Of human life or the finer
emotions and they keenly resented this
attitude. ! now reminded EnNer that
Turkey had Il splendid opportunity L
disprove all these criticisms. 9TH,
world mays say you are barbarians,'
argued, SHOW by the way you treat
these alien enemies, that you are not
only In this way can YOU be freed per
mancntly from the ignbminy of capt.
ulations, Prove that you are worthy o
being emancipated from foreign tute
lagc, BE civilized-bc modern!'
In view Of what was happening II
Is, lgium and northern France at tina
moment, my use of the word modern,
was n little unfortunate. Enver quick
ly saw the point. Up to this time h,
had maintained his usual attitude o
erect and dignified composure, and hi
face, as always, had been attentive, i'm
perturhable, almost cxpressionless, NOV
in a flash his whole bearing changed
HIS CountenanCe broke into 3 cynica
smile, he leaned over, hrough his fs
down on the table, and said:
"Modcrnl No, however Turkey sha
wage war, at least we shall not b.
modern That is the most barbari
system Of all. We shall simply try t
be decent
Naturally | construed this as a prom
Use; | understood the changeablencss {
the Turkish character we'll enough
however. to know that more than
promise was necessary. The German
were constantly prodding the Turks
officials, ~persuading them to adopt tn
favorite German plan against enem
aliens. Germany has revived many {
the principles OF ancient n mediaevt
warfare, one OF her most barbari
resurrections from the past being tn
practice Of keeping certain represents
lives Of the population, preferably pee
pie Of distinction and influence, o
hostages for the good behavior {
others. At this moment the .Germa
military staff was urging the Turks
keen foreign residents for this purpos,
inst ms the Germans held noncomba'
ants in Belgium as security Tor N
"friendliness" Of the Belgians, an
nlaced Belgian women and children !
Inc head OF their advancing armies,
Inc Germans II Turkey were now pa
ming TO use French and BRUSH res
dents as part OF their protective sE'
tenn against the allied fleet, That IN
sinister influence was constantly
work we'll knew II was therefore me-
n essary that | should meet II immediate
v and II possible, gain the upper mar
o|t ina very start. | decided that u
dennrture OF the entente diplomats al
rosIdents from Constantinople wou
really nut to the test my aotlty
n]rotert the foreign residents II ,
No trench and English who real
Wished no leave could safely get o
OF Turkey ! believed that thls uenloI
n stration would have a restraining !
fluence, not only upon the Hstmai
but upon the underltngs Oh the iurNN
official world.