Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-07-04
|NOHAMMED,
RULER,
|D|ES, REPORT
Weak Sultan of Ottoman
Empire Since 1909 Is
Dead; 72 Years Old.

& Amsterdam. July 4. MOham-
ned Y. Sultan OF Turkey, died
I = 1 o'clock last night. says a
1anstantinoPIe dispatch receiN-
ID here today by way OF Vienna.
uohammed Y. thirty-ffth SOW
Il ,-siep of Turkey in direct descen;
/ + The house OF Osman. founder CT
se> empire, came 10 the throne by
coupe d'etat on April q. 1909,
] ,aer having been held for 33 years
-ssrs a prisoner by his brother
i satan Abdul II, in the royal pat
,ee and gardens in COnstantlnople.
- scheming Abdul II intended
.bar his own son. Prince Burhan
Ediue. described as the most bril-
Tsnt and gifted of the princes OF
The house of Osman, succeed him.
gut this plan was thwarted when
rarijament deposed Abdul and
slaced his prisoner brother. Mo-
|. banned Reschad Effendi, on the
ihroue as Mohammed Y.
The Sseik-ul-Islam. head of the
aeslem church. drew up the de-
cree of deposition. which passed
rarliament without a dissenting
voice. Five minutes later, Moham-
NED. who during his Imprisonment
had had no experience in the duties
! Of government. purposely denied
sducation in such matters by his
Hrother. was declared sultan. The
/ szme afternoon he took the oath Of
faelity to the Turkish constitution
and I01 guns proclaimed the new
seFeTeign.
Mohammed Y was born in Con
Hzntinople Nov 3. 1S45. He was OF
studious disposition and rea.
widely in Turkish literature His
lsag Imprisonment with lack of ex-
ercise and rich living undermined
| his health and several times he was
reported dead or seriously i'll HIS
appearance showed the ravages Of
time and the worries OF an un-
steady throne. BY his enforced Sc
elusion he was totally unfit for
public life and Is reported to have
said regarding It: During my i'm
fFisonment of 80 years my enc
mics have slandered me and called
ne a mailman bordering on imbe-
dlity" He was characterized as
g0od-natured. weak and ingenious,
with an almost infantile curiosity,
and of religious nature
Al his succession she esDOused the
cause Of the Young Turks. the
party which was in opposition to
the form Of ceremony of his broth
er's reign Upon the deposition Of
Abdul, Mohammed was welcomed
by them as a champion Of freedom.
He promised a progressive reign in
Z speech from the throne read by
the grand viZier. He was, how
ever. merely a pawn of the Young
Turk party. although he sent out 10
tae world the message tuat he had
siways been the ardent supporter
Of the cause of liberty. enlighten-
nent and progress.
Weak Ruler.
His hand in the government was
never strong Illness, a naturally
easy disposition and weak will
power kept him continually at the
mercy Of the Turkish officers and
the Liberal party. He feared dep
osition during the TurkO-ItaliaL
var in 1911 and spent a night pray
hg in the various shrines Of Con-
siantinOple. He appealed 70 the
army TO be lOysl 70 him and said
hat their reasonable demands en-
outraged the enemy 10 attack the
bardanelles- He also lost most Of
Ais European dOmiuions in the Bal
kan wars. The Young Turks inyad-
q the palace in 1913 when Noham .
ned was reported TO have become
feconciled with his brother.
In 1914. at the outbreak Of the
PRESENT war. Mohammed issued d
proclamation blaming the triple en-
iente with thrUsting war on Tur-
Key. He exchanged kilograms OF
greeting with the German Emper-
O from whom he later received tho
ZION Cross When England and
france declared that a state Of war
existed with Turkey he arranged
p send troops TO Germany when
ever NEEDED. In return he was ap-
pointed field marshal by the Ger
man emperor and received the baton
q that Office from Field Marshal
Yon .Mackensen.
- In War To End.
IN February. 1917. In a speech in
parliament the sultan promised
turkish participation in the war
ehuI the end. and declared the al
nance forced him TO break rela-
TONS with the United States.
The Turkish empire paid dearly
,Cf S MS entry into the great war.
nlssla overran Armenia and the
nf.llsh drove the Turks far up the
alley Of the Euphrates and the
--grls and took Jerusalem. Bagdad
- sc other important cities from
.len with great loss OF life and
steasure- Under him Turkey has
secome virtually a German vassal
z the autocratc scheme Of the Ger
.sh powers for Teutonic ascend
acy IN central Europe.
NE next heir 10 the throne. Yus-
n Izzedune, is the son Of the late
ssaitan Abdul Aziz. and was there
gie, first cousin Of Mohammed V.
Nonammed' s eldest son. Zin Eddine.
! man now over 30. is ninth in the
ne Of succession.