The Washington herald., 1918-10-20

! be useful This attitude is intensified
! by a total disregard for human nre
and an intense delight in physical hu-
man suffering which are the not un-
usual qualities of primitive peoples.
| Such were the mental Characters
| ties OF the Turk in his days of mill
| tary greatness. In recent times his
attitude toward foreigners and his
subject peoples had specifically
changed. His own military decline
and the ease with which the infidel
nations defeated his finest armies had
apparently given the naughty descen-
dants Of Osnlan a respect at least for
their prowess The rapid disappear
ance OF his own empire in a hundred
years. the creation out OF the Otto
man Empire of new states like
Greece, Serbia. Bulgaria, and Ru-
mania. and the wonderful improve
meat which had followed the destTuc-
ton of the Turkish yoke in these be-
nighted lands. may have increased
the Ottoman hatred for the Unbe-
lever but at least they had a GER
tain influence in opening his eyes to
his importance. Many Turks also now
received their education in European
universities; they studied in their pro-
fessional schools, and they became
physicians, surgeons, lawyers. engi'
neers, and chemists of the modern
kind. However much the more pro-
gressive Moslems might despise their
I Christian associates. they could not
ignore the fact that the finest things,
in this temporal world at least, were
the products of European and Amer
| ican civilization. And now that one
| development OF modern history which
/ seemed to be least understandable tc
! the Turk began to force itself upon
; the consciousness OF the more inteliI.
gent and progressive. Certain leaders
arose who began to speak surrep.
tiuously of such things as "Constitu-
tiOnalisTn," Liberty" "Self-govern
ment." and to whom the Declaration
of independence contained certain
truths that might have a value ever
for Islam. These daring spirits be-
gan to dream OF overturninC the au.
tocratic Sultan and Of substituting G
parliamentary system for his ire
sp"nSible rule. l have already de
sCr!hcd the rise and fall OF this Young
Turk movement under such leaders as
Talaat. Enver. Djemal. and their as,
sOCiates in the Committee of Unior
and Progress. The point which l an
tinpidSlZlnC mere is that this move
ment presupposed a complete trans
formation OF Turkish mentality. es,
! pccidlly in its attitude toward sub
Z JeCt peoples. No longer, under tn,
reformed Turkish state. were Greeks
Syrians, Armenians. and Jews to b,
regarded as filthy Giaours" Al
these peoples Were henceforth to have
equal rights and equal duties. A gen
eral love feast now followed the es.
/ tablishment of the new regime. anC
scenes of almost frenzied reconCilia-
! tlon, in which Turks and Armenian
embraced each other publicly, appar'
! emily signaliZed the absolute unior
of the once antaGnostic peoples The
/ Turkish leaders, including Talaat anc
! Enver, visited Christian churches anc
sent forth prayers of Thanksgiving for
, the new order, and went to Armenian
cemeteries to shed tears of retributior
over the bones of the martyred Ar.
menians who lay there. Armenian
priests reciprOCally paid their tribute:
, to the Turks in Mohammedar ar
! mosques. Enver Pasha visited severa.
Armenian schools. telling the children
! that the old days of Moslem- m-Christiar
strife had passed forever and tha
the two peoples were now to live to