The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1920-11-18
CARNIVAL OF JOY
Turkish Capital the Most "Wide
Open Of Cities.
NominsIly Under Allied Control, There
10 No Interference With Any Form
Of ReveIry That Could Be =
Thought OF. !.

ConstantInople now combines all the
frenzy of new mining camp and a
world seaport. It's "the end of the
trail" for ell the Balkan states and
everything west of Suez on the Medi-
terranean.
Caucasian oil men. Donetz Basin
miners, Anatollan sheep and cattle
kings. Greek war milllonaires and Sy-
rian merchants rush TO Constantinople
to pop champagne In proof of their
success. Soldiers and sailors OF half
dozen nations swell the population
and add to the cosmopolitan aspect of
the streets and pleasure resorts.
Under allied occupation the city has
become wilder place than II was un-
der the Turks. There are no civil
courts. None of the allies desire to
assume responsibility for reforms 9TH
er than are necessary to safeguard
life. Italian, French and British
troops cooperate with the Turkish
gendarmerie In keeping order. But
everybody's Job Is nobody's job. Con-
sequently ConstantInople Is very
~ide-open town. Midnight closing is
enforced pretty generally. but until
that hour there is little interference
with dance halls, gambling dives and
| redlight districts unless murder Is
committed.
Leadville and Goldfield In their dix-
ziest days never offered anything
wilder than certain sections OF Con-
stantinople. where jazz bands vie with
| Neapolltan orchestras and tsigane
singers In their efforts to attract way
fnrers into the beer tunnels and dance
halls filled to overflowinG with the
painted women of many nationallties.
Half dozen summer gardens offer
vaudeville programs which attract
thousands OF persons every night who
seem to have far more interest In the
drinks and restless crowds than In
ne Russian prima donnas and bare
legged dancers whose art Is usually
as meager as their attire. Turks,
Arabs. Bedouins. Egyptians and As
syrians. gorgeously clad In native cos
tunes, elbow their way among Cos
sacks and Georgians whose uniforms
/
cent military achievements.
Coal-blnck French colonials, re.
splendent In red fezzes and green kha.
XII, mingle with Slkhs and Punjabi-
whose long hair and many-colored
headdresses are wrapped In somber
brown. Civilians. soldiers and sailors
from all parts OF the world are hope
lessly jumbled together In CONSTANT
nople crowSs and are so busy lookini
at each other that tenors from the
Petrograd opera, naughty French sing
ers from Montmartre and Austrian
strong jawed ladies claim but slight
attention.
Constantinople itself is grand
pageant every day. Its main thor
oughfare, Rue Grand Pera. is more
fascinating than any scene which pro
, ducers ever can hope to stage. Camel
drivers lead their patient trains. bur
dened with charcoal, through the maze
OF street cars, snrieking army motor
cars and carriages. plloted over the
rough paving at breakneck speed by
, Turkish hostlers who crack their whips
| uuu Snout tohoAhhtis Ut hbh P''>.' -
, pedestrians who venture Off the mar
, row sidewalks.
Turks mounted on tiny donkey'
. move indIfferently through this mael
/. strom. Occasionally Turkish peasants
drive a flock Of sheep or turkeys int
this swirl Of traffic and serene oxef
draw heavy carts along at pac'
90 slow that drivers Of military cami
ons curse them In 10 languages.
The narrow. crooked streets Of Con
stantinople are ill-suited to motor traf
fic and the slow-going fatalistic Turl
is little inclined to change his pace
Consequently there are many acci
dents and the Indifference with whicl
foreign military cars are driven ha
done much to intensity Turkish hatre'
!, of foreigners.