The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-08-31
The Turkish Spirit
i----.L
Woman Nationalist Leader
Talks to a Press Cores
pondent


respondence of the Associated
Pess}-Dressed in a black riding
suit aud astride an Arab mare,
Halide sHanuna, the Turkish wo-
man novelist and nationalist leader,
greeted the Associated Press COR
respondent by the roadside outside
of Angora, waving her hand IN
recognition as the automobile ap-
preached after crossing innumer-
able mountains and rivers from
Ineboli, the contraband port on
the Black Sea.
Halide invited the correspondent
to her. home, an Anatehan farm
house in a nearby gorge. She said
she had ridden horseback fire.
ouently since she escaped from
Constantinople in March; 1926,
riding the entire distance to Angora
On her horse.
my mind. and soul are here but
my. heart, is in America with my
boys, Ali and Hassan, in college at
Urbana, Ill.," said the woman who
has made herself famous not only
as q novelist but by espousing the
cause headed by Kenal Pasha who
is lighting the Greeks.
She spoke Of the war with the
Greeks and of the difficulty Of
making peace with the allies
>. .".Time. is our great and best
ally" she said. We want peace,
and we are willing to fight for
ever for it. It is costly for US but
it is the only, way. We must have
eur independence: political, geo.
graphic and economic
:. The correspondent reminded her
that these were vague terms used
by the nationalists since the Turk
ish armistice.
- It may seem monotonous but
we keep right on saying and think-
ing the same things" she replied.
when we first said them, we were
ridicnled by some Of our own peo-
pie, while the allies went on vio-.
lating the armistice terms We
have made progress during the past
two years, and finally we will win.
Haven't the. allies got enough out
of us: taking ,Mesopotamia and Sy-
ria. AS for the Greeks, after they
have spent, all their money and in
debted their nation to keep up a
large army, they will be obliged to
return home.
After we have disposed of the
Greeks, then the allies will have to
drop the Capitulations, which orig
ipafly were privileges extended to
foreign subjects centuries ago by
us SO we wouldn't. need to inter-
ferei in their Affairs. Gradually,
the foreign nations have, made Of
these Capitulations an encroach-
ment on our sovereignty.
II understand, the allies have
about abandoned their pretensions
to zones of influentie, Anyway, we
won't have them, as such zones
mean infringement on our politi-
ear liberty. In such zones the an.es
would exploit us. not bring us eco
nomic help. The allies are ruined
and need TO spend their money at
home. 1t is better business for us
to have free trade competition,
giving the Americans, the Swiss,
or anybody, fair chance to trade
with us.
I'VE cant give up CONSTANT
nople. That city is the elimination
Of our ciyilizatioR It represents
our art, our beauty, our culture. It
IS at once our Venice and our New
York.
There's peasant fairy tale that
the Devil, once upon q time, find
ing the peoples. Of the earth at
peace, called a council of the un-
der Devils, when it was decided to
reform the earth SO as to make the
straits (of Dardenelles) and there
pitch, in place of rare beauty. the
fair city today called Constantine
pie, and that ever since nations
have fought to possess the straits
and the city. Perhaps, with all the
new mischief there is in the world,
the nations may leave us to make
peace with the Devil.
.HFhe British want the control of
the straits and the city, but the
worst they can do is to blockade
us, and we can live on our own
food, make our own clothes until
they are tired. Why should the
British have such control? Surely
no one wants the Greeks Or the
French there either
Regarding Bolshevik relations,
she said: I'VE do not want any
military help nor Bolsheviki among
us, or any strangers for political
reasons
The sum total of our national
ism is to tell the truth. and ac-
cept no middle measures. The
truth is the only thing that counts.
We are either right or wrong and
If: right we Will win, and Turkey
will be a free and useful nation. We
want to live our own way, educate
our people. promote commerce and
the arts. build roads and railways,
and cultivate cur fields. Any ma
ton whose prosperity is based on
agriculture may survive. Will the
world let us? If Lot we will fight.
to the last man and the last ,wo-
man."
DECREASE IN MILLION