The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1920-11-03

Turkish Capital the Most "W;de,
Open" of Cities.
Nonrnaiiy Under Allied Control, There
10 No Interference With Any Form
Of Reveiry That Gould Be
Thought Of

ConstaEtinople now combines all tho
frenzy OF new mining camp and
world seaport. It's "the end of the
trail for all the Balkan states and
everything west of Suez on the Medi-
terrnncan.
Caucasian oil men, Donetz Basin
miners Anatolinn sheep and cattle
kings, Greek war millionaircs and Sy-
rinn merchants rush to ConStantinoDle
20 pop champagne in proof of their
success. Soldiers and sailors of half
Il dozen nations swell the population
az" odd to rhe cosmopolitan aspect Of
the streets and pleasure resorts.
Under allied occupation the city has
hecC:ac a wilder place than il 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
gerdarmcric in Keeping order. But
ercryhody's job IS nobody's Job Con-
Sequcntly COnStnntinople is very
widc-opcn town. Midnight closing is
enforced pretty generally, but until
that hour there is little interference
with dance halls, gambling dives and
rcdlight districts unless murder is
committed
Lcadville and Goldfcld in their di2-
zirSt days never offered anything
wilder than certain sections of Con
stantnoplc, whore jazz bands vie with
NcnpOlitan orchcStras and tsiganc
singers in their efforts to attract way
fnrcrs into the beer tunnels and dance
halls filled to ovcrfowing with the
painted women of many nationalities.
Half Il dozen summer gardens offer
vaudeville programs Which attract
thousands of persons every night who
seem To have far more interest in tie
drinks and restless crowds than in
the Russian prma dOnnas ana bare
legged dancers whose art is usually
rs mca@cr rs their attire. Turks
Arabs. BcdouinS. Egyptians and AS
syrians %orgcously clad in native COS
tunes, elbow their way among Cos
sacks and Gcorginns whose uniforms
are frr moro brilliant than their re
cont military achievements
Coalhlack French coionalS, re-
Splcndrnt in rcd frHHcS and green lihn.
k, minglc With Sikhs and Puniahi.
whose lon" hair and man! -colorcd
L"a'ldrcssrS are wrapped i'll solnhcr
brown. Civilians. soldiers and sailors
from all parts OF the world arc hope
lcSsly .iumhlcd together in ConStanti-
noplc crowds and are so busy looking
at each other that trnorS from the
l'ctograd opera. naughty French sing
erS from Montmartrc and Austrian
strong .iawcd ladies claim hut slight
attention.
Constantinoplc itself is q grand
pageant every day. It's main thor
oughfa:c, Rue Grand Pcra, is more
fascinating than any scene which pro
duccrS ever can hope TO stage. Canal
drivers lead their patient trains, bur.
dcncd with charcoal, through the maze
OF street cars, shricking army motor
cars and carriages, pilotcd over the
rough paving Mt brcakncck speed by
Turkish hoStlerS who crack their whips
and shout constantly at high pitch to
pedestrians who venture off the mar
row sidewalks.
Turks mounted on tiny donkcys
move indiilcrently through this mael-
strom. Occasionally Turkish peasants
drive Il flock of sheep or turkeys into
his swirl of traffic and serene oxen
draw heavy carts along at q pace
50 slow tliat drivers Of military can't
ouS curse them in 10 languages
rhc narrow, crooked streets OF Con
stauiiuoplc are ill.Suitcd TO motor Iraf-
nc and lh" SLOW Going rntal!s,ic Turl;