Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-24
TURKEY DRY go
YEARS BEFORE U. S.
Land of Kaleidoscope Re-
forms Now About to Dis
card "Fez."

The 'srurkish fez" is said to be pass
ing from the streets of Constantinople.
In discarding this characteristic head
dress some observers profess TO see
syu,ptom of profound change In the
Ottoman viewpoint
''Such a conclusion may or may net
be justified" says a bulletin from the
Washington headquarters OF the National
Geographic Society. rBut in specializing
upon the subject it may be well to re-
member that, paradoxically, the Turkey
with a tradition Of national inertia. also
is a land of Kaleidoscope reform
Turkey, however, may be said to react
to reforms more discriminatory than
any other country in or out OF Christeh-
dom, The Turks have adopted some n,
forms bodily and some partially, and
have rejected others fatty, even wheh
the prestige of the caiiph ana Ahhh
ministers was behind them.
turkey Dry SIX Centuries.
Turkey began Its existence on
foundation Of reforms. the empire II
heriting the compr extensive reshapina
of the religious and social world inst
tuted by Mohammed. 1t went dry
inst GOO years before the United Stats'
Tor its eighteenth amendment wtH
not an amendment at all, but psi B.
so to speak, of the organic act wh'
the empire came into existence /"
1899.
even in the matter Of polygamJ.
looked at askance by the western
world. Mohammed and the govern
ment which took up his mantle weTe
reformers. The legal maximum nun
her of wives was placed at four
strixing bit of connubial abstenous-
ness in the face of the examples Sc
bv solomon and sundry other eastefn
potentates.
Turned Down Coffee Prohibition.
Even the jokes of coffee and TO
bacco prohibition that have gone tne
rounds Of the American vaudevine
stage came ne, Mo Psimg sasr scholars
Illuminated against the steaming cup;
and one sultan, beating American
anti-cigarette legislation by gooa
century, went SO fas as TO prohlbit
taking too firm a hold on his people.
But the populace refused to have the
prophets covenant changed either by
multiplying amendments or interpre-
tive reservations. and the ban was
raised These were some of the re
forms that died aborning. and today
coffee drinking and smoking are
practically universal practices among
both the men and women or turkey.
Though the passing of the fee is
western eyes would remove something
as distinctively Turk ish as the star
and crescent. the Introduction of the
gaudy skull cap was itself a reform
ago. and stanch old Moslems of that
time wagged their heads in warning
as the reckless reformers cast aside
their dignified turbans for the new
III IL
shose days tho fes sravsied tG In eo
pany sufficiently disreputable to damn
1t utterly. II was introduced forci-
bly, into the army by the Sultan NAH
moud II in tho early part Of the nine
teenth century along with tight Eu-
These and such other reforms as the
establishment of q newspaper earned
Tor Mahmoud the title Of fnf1dei sui
The new head dress was adopted
next by public officials and soon was
used generally By the sultans sub
)ects IN European Turkey. AS late
as 1878: however. it was seen in
aries.
Fee an Essential to Prayer.
The fec and turban types Of head
coverings have a definite reason for
existence in Turkey. and it is to be
doubted that they will be disca rded
entirely. especially for the brimmed
hats and visored caps OF Europeans
rules and customs call for
covered heads at prayer: and they
also require that at one stage Of pray
er the \ otary shall touch his nose and
forehefH to the ground, a feat that is
Impossible n he wears a hat with
protruding brim. So firmly has the
detestation Of hats been imp1a nted in
the bosoms of strict Mohammedans
hat in the past one accused of treach-
cry to Islam had q hat nailed to his
door.
IF the desire to be modern Is lead
Ing more and more to the use Of hats
by Turks in the streets Of CONSTANT
nople, it can hardly be believed that
the practice will extend to the ma
jority of the Inhabitants, unless
which is unthinkable-they should
throw or Mohammedanism itself. 1t
may be that the faithful who would
keep up with the times can compro-
mise by carrying upon their persons
folded fez to be donned hastily I'm
place of straw or fedora when the
voice rings out from his
ninaret in the call to prayer"
Guest-"Look herei How long