Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-03-20
TURKEY IN THROES OF
HIGH COST OF LIVING
Staggering Prices for Necessities
Reported by Burlington Man
Home from Enforced Stay in
Constantinople-Country De.
serves a Decent Government

war were different from those of most
Americans, for during the greater part of
1t he was in strange places and saw at
first hand what few Americans did. His
excellent knowledge of affairs in the Near
East was such that II was brought into
use for the peace commission. While he
was in Paris. on his return, he was
called on to furnish information regarding
food conditions to the bureau, which was
investigating for the commission.
When asked yesterday by a Free Press
man what his ideas of the disposition of
Turkey and It's pos1sessiones would be,
Mr.. Turk replied that ne could see no
other way than that some form Of gov
eminent would be provided for Turkey
with the present Sultan at the head Of 1t.
The Sultan of Turkey is the head of the
Mohammedan world. ana England cannot
afford to encounter the hatred Of it's mil
lions of Mohammedan subjects by not
recognizing him. In India alone there
are o.OO0,0 OO Mohammedan subjects and
there are many more in Egypt and other
places. The possessions, in Mr.. Turks
opinion, will be disposed Of in different
ways. According to the talk in Paris, Pal
estine will be given to the Jews. Armenia
will be given its independence. and at
least a part of Syria will be established as
. French protoctorate. That is what the
Syrians want as they have been educated
along French lines. Greece will add to
its territory, and territory which has been
taken in the past by the Turks from vafi-
Gus countries will be returned.
Mr.. Turk said that during his stay in
the Near East he found the Turk. outside
of the clique which was in control. friend
ly to America. Not once was he In any
way molested during the entire fourteen
months in Constantinople. One thing
impressed him during his enforced stay
there, however, and that was the high
cost of living. There was, however,
at all times plenty of food for those
who could pay for 1t. While people In
some parts of the country were tarv-
ing. the rich in Constantinople had a
suficiency. The prices, however. were
probably higher than anywhere else In
the world. A small cup Of coffee in
the morning, with a slice of bread and
butter, cost $1.20 in American money.
Two boiled eggs brought the price of
breakfast up IS cents more. and fruit
which he usually bought outside, meant
As or so cents more. Any kind of a
plain dinner came to $3.50 or $500.
Rooms were not so expensive and one
could be obtained for $14 per week.
When it came to clothing. however, the
figures were really startling. The
plainest sort of a shirt cost sis. A pair
of ordinary shoes sold for $50 and a
business suit of clothes could not he
bought for less than 1925. The laundry
Importance as an expense item. for the
price of laundering a collar was 80
cents. Ice cream was a real luxury
and a small dish. no larger han a wine
glass would hold vas valued at 90
cents. The country was 10 motorists
paradise for Mr.. Turk paid just SIPS
for a five-gallon can of gasoline in
Aleppo.
All this time there was plenty of
food but the transportation facilities
were entirely inadequate. The produce
ton of wheat went ahead so well that
some was exported to the central
powers While Turkey remained at
a train was operated to and from
Austria and a friend of Mr.. Turks
went to Austria on business. In that
country no starch was allowed to be
used and his friend gave him a sample
of what laundry looked like when 1t
had seen neither soap or starch.
AS evidence that the feeling of the
Turks vas friendly to Americans, Mr..
Turk was allowed to come and go with
freedom, while those of other ma
tionalities were obliged to be in every
night at $3.50 o'clock and make all kinds
of reports. The American colleges
were allowed to keep open all the time
while the ohters were not.
Mr.. Turk says that there is no doubt
but that popular feeling was with the
entente all the time during the war.
The Germans were hated by the public,
with the exception of the powerful clique
which was in control and which sold out
to Germany. This feeling grew more
and more. One thing which made the
German hatred was because he could
not stand for the easy-going manner of
the Turk. 1t meant life or death to him
to get some sort OF efficiency into the
country and this annoyed the Turk i'm
r~nensely for to him tomorrow is exactly
as good as to-day. AS soon as peace
was DECLARED the Germans lost all stand
ing.
Mr.. Turk says the Turk has the worst
government possible. but that the
morality of the people as a whole is
superior to that of any other of the near
eastern people, from what HI has seen
and learned from the experience of other
business men who have been there.
They are much better than the Ser
bians, Bulgars and the other nearby
countries. The old fashioned peasant
Turk is an honest man. You may go
away and leave your house open for
months and find 1t all right when you
back. so far as he is concerned.
The old Mohammedan does not drink,
but the Turks, who have come more in
contact with Europeans, nave copied
their vices but none of their virtues.
The cliques which nave been In power
for centuries are the cause of most of the
trouble. and Russia has helped no little |
In the Armenian atrocities which I'M
doubleday do exist as reported. For
many years Russia, which has conducted
massacres of her own in the past,
has used Armenia as a tool and played
1t against Turkey by stirring it up to
try for its independence. This would
arouse the Turks and Russia hoped in
way to finally bring on conditions
no they would be ripe for her to step In
and taxi the Dardanelles. In civil life |
the Armenians and Turks live peace
fully side by side, and because of the
business ability of the Armen-
ians they often occupy important posi-
tons on large estates owned by Turks.
soldiery IL just what the corrupt
bunch at the head makes H. 1t does
not represent the typical Turk.
One thing which has gone out of style |
in Turkey is having more than one wife.
The cause has been an economical one. !
peasant can afford but one and.
according to the Turkish law, every |
wife must be treated alike. II one
has a house each of the others must