The sun., 1919-07-06
By CAPT. ALAN BoTT. r. Az.

then the Turco- German General
L Headquarters on the Palestine
front-that I first met at close quar-
tors the terrorism and misery under
which Turkey lived during the war.
was in solitary confinement, shut
up in a tiny room about ten feet long
by six feet wide. Ny furniture was a
ted with one greasy blanket and a
rickety little table, on which stood an
searthenware carafe for the bad water
supplied to me. The only water in
Nazareth. by the way, that was not
bad and liable to contain disease
germs was that drawn from the ia
nous "well Of the Holy Virgin; and
this the German and Turkish officers
and the German soldiers monopolized
Several times during the first few
days I noticed men, women and boys
walking in a huddled bunch, with
guards round them. Some had their
hands shackled, some had chain
linking one arm and one leg. others
were chained by the arm to the next
person. They moved aimlessly over
the hillside, presumably for exercise,
while the guards pushed and beat any
who stumbled or struggled.
One morning / was visited by the
Governors aide de camp. just after
such a party had disappeared from
view. l asked II these shackled and
browbeaten prisoners were Christians.
''My dear sir" said the aide de camp,
with all the blandness OF the educated
Turk when telling lie, I'VE put chains
on nobody. and our Christian crimi-
nails are as well treated as others.
You must be mistaken"
1t was curious that after this con-
versation l never again saw groups of
civilian captives at Nazareth. Posi-
bly, the Governors aide de camp took
care that they should be- taken for
exercise on the far side OF the hill.
This same officer paid me further
visits, for he was learning French and
wanted practice. Once when he was In
my room I saw from the window =
strange procession. A few banners
were carried at the head or 1t, then
came some Turkish soldiers and
finally a mass of men and women
shambling along with bowed heads
Somewhere a band was blaring out the
horrible whining discord which the
Turks call music. 1t would be impos-
sible to imagine anything more melan-
choly and unenthusiastic than the
peoples attitude.
4 Victory "CeIcbration."
What is that" asked.
Two days ago." said the aide d.
camp. "the Turks gained great vic.
tory over the British in the Jordan
Valley. between Els Salt and Amman
The Governor has organized this pro
cession TO celebrate it. The population
is showing its Joy at the Turks VIC
tory"
When taken TO German Headquar
tors I complained about the food Ar
officer, remarkiug that although al
enemy of the British he did not Xix,
seeing fellow Europeans in the handi
of the Turks, promised to send m,
meals from the German Genera
Staff's mess. Evidently the German
General STAFF on the Palestine from
did themselves very we'll. For the res
OF my stay in Nazareth I fed better
than I could have done In a LondoI
which was very pleasant chang
after bread and water, varied by thii
soup.
Sickness and bitterness OF min,
made me far from hungry, so that
was unable to eat much of what tn
Germans sent me. The Turkish cor
poral of the guards, the sentry VIII,
stood outside my door, and one or tw,
OF his friends-all hungry and In rag
would hang around in the corrido
until the remains were taken out, thei
put their dirty hands into the dishes
snatch pieces OF meats or vegetable
and stuff them into their mouths.
As the days passed my confinement
became less solitary. The food from
the German mess brought me a usefu
friend in the dragoman who came witt
1t. He was an Israelite, originally iron
Salonica. with a long tongue-twistinI
name impossible to remember. / GALE
him Jean Will French being our me
dunn Of conversation. He was wei
off, and had been an official of the Otto
man Bank in Constantlnople. For III
first two years of the war he had KEEP
out of the army by bribing Turks
officers and policemen, but finally tn
press gang took him.
Jean Willis principal subject OF con
versat!on was the stupidity and genera
beastliness OF the Turks among whor
he had to live. Also, he was neve
tired of asking why the British left tn
Dardanelles. They could have force
their way through with ease had the
stayed a week longer. he said. as tn
Turkish troops were at their last gas
and nearly out OF ammunition. Ever
one in Constantinople was expectin
this to happen. and most people wer
hoping for 1t. All the gold in the Otto
man Bank (of which he was at tn
time an Officially had been transferre
TO Asia Minor. whittier the Turks
Ministry had planned TO retire. Late
I heard this same story OF the Turks
troops being at their last gasp froI
scores of Turkish subjects. includin
officers who had actually fought in III
campaign.
1t was from Jean Will that ! fir,
learned how thousands of people
Asia Minor had died or were dying {
starvation. j was able to verify hi
statements from personal experience