The New York herald., 1921-05-01
KEY TO ASIA MINOR
HELD BY WOMAN
Halidi Edib Hanum Inspir-
alton of Nationalist
Cause in Turkey.
BORN A MoHAMMEDAN
Leader of Pan-Turanian Ideas,
She Would Like to See All
Seljuks United.

BY CAPT. FRANCIS M'CULLAGH.
Special Correspondence to THE New York
HERALD.
REvAL., April 10.-A powerful femi-
nine mind Is back OF the Turkish Ma
tionalist movement.
"Halidi Edib Hanum is one Of the
most remarkable women who has ap-
peared in the Orient for many CEN
turies." said Achmes Reouf Bey to a
HERALD representative to-day. "Halidi
Hanum Is the inspiration of the Ma
tionalist Government and how much
Mustapha Kemal owes to her energy
and enthusiasm it is difficult to ex-
aggerate. When tho British found
that her patriotism in Constantinople
was causing them trouble they sought
to arrest her, but she took refuge in
Roberts College and was hidden there
until an opportunity occurred to snug
gle her across the Bosporus to the
Asiatic side, where it was easy for her
to make her way to Angora."
Poet and Politician.
AS writer Of poetry and novels she
will go down to history as the Madame
de Stael of Turkey. as a politician and
patriot she will be reckoned with Rosalic
Montmasson, the friend of Crispi. who
made the campaign of the Mile and
accompanied him into exile and acted
as the messenger between him and Maz-
zini
In the Nationalist Government and
army her influence is supreme and there
are few questions on which she is not
consulted. She is constantly with the
army riding with the troops on long
marches even into the Caucasus Noun
tains. She wears mans riding clothes
and in the field only veil over her hair
but in the city in accordance with local
prejudice she wears a light tcharcliash.
She is not as people think a djesme or
Moslemized Jewess but was Moslem
AS soon as the Greeks landed at Smyrna
In 1919 she raised the standard OF pro-
test in Constantinople. She received
from the Sheik-ul-Isam permission tc
address the male population forbidden
heretofore to women. She addressed
a mob Of 10000 outside the Mosque OF
Sultan Ahmed II. and so inspiring were
her words that the mass fell on their
knees and swore to fight the invader.
Inspfrer of Pan-Islamites.
Halidi Edib Hanum at the time of the
Armistice with Turkey founded the
Wilsonian Society in Constantinople and
xv,tx xl,a 80 -
to the u s. A. to insist on the territorial
rights of Turkey being recognized. Dur
ing the war she was the inspirer OF
Djemal Pasha and DJavid Bcy. She also
wrote a famous book called "Pan-
Turanianism." of which the hero was
the Infamous Talaat Pasha. When the
Allies conquered GAIA they found In
the trenches thousands of copies Of this
book. which was freely distributed to the
Turkish soldiers.
A fanatical Moslem, Halidi Hanum.
made the journey to Syria with Djemal
Pasha and organized the orphanages
which were necessitated as n result of
the massacre of the Arabs by Djemal.
Much will be heard of Halidi Hanum in
the future. She is@certainly. in spite
Of her training in the American girls
school and as professoress at Roberts
College, only mild adaptation Of West.
ern methods In the East. Previous to
the war she was a strong propagandist
for the greater liberty of women in the
East. She has somewhat changed her
opinions on this since the war. especial
ly owing to tho behavior Of the Ger
mans during their occupation of Tur-
key. She confessed herself that this
had caused the downfall of Moslem
women to the extent of ninety per cent
-.
ideas she would like to see not only the
Moslem world linked up together, but
also all nationalities which have Seljuk
blood in their veins.