Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1921-09-08
CARNIVAL OF JOY
Turkish Capital the Most "Wide
Open OF Cities.
NORMALLY Under Allied Control, There
Is No Interference With Any Form
OF Revelry That Could Be
Thought OF.

Constantinoplc now combines all the
frenzy of a new mining camp and
world seaport. It's 1.-THE end of the
trail" for all the Balkan states and
everything west of Suez on the Medi-
terranean.
Caucasian oil men. Donetz Basin
miners, Anatolian sheep and cattle
kings, Greek war millionaires and Sy-
rian merchants rush 10 Constantinople
10 pop champagne i'm 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 il was un
der the Turks. There are 10 civil
courts. None of the allies desire to
assume responsibility for reforms oth-
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
wide-open town. Midnight closing is
enforced pretty generally, but until
that hour there is little Interference
with dance halls. gambling dives and
rcdllght districts unless murder is
committed.
Leadville and Goldheld in their diz-
ziest days never offered anything
william fhpp nf o.
stantinople. where jazz bands vie with
Neapoltan orchcstras and tsi-ane
singers in their efforts 10 attract way
farers into the beer tunnels and dance
halls filled TO overlooking with the
painted women of many natiOnalitios.
Half a 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 i'm
the Russian prima donnas ana bare
legged dancers whose art is usually
MS meaeer as their attire. Turks
Arabs, BedoulnS Egyptians and As.
syrians, gorgeously clad in native cos
tunes, elbow their way among Cos
sacks and Georsians whose uniforms
are far more brilliant than their re
cent military achievements.
Coal-black French colonals, re
splendent in red fczZes and green kha-
XII, mingle with Silks and Puniahi
whose long hair and many-colored
headdresscs are wrapped I'm somher
brown Civilians. soldiers ana sailors
from all parts of the world are hope
lessIy iumblcd together in CONSTANT
nople crowds and are so busy looking
at each other that tenOrs from Che
Pctrograd opera, naughty French sing
ers from Montmartre and Austrian
strong-ja wed ladies claim but slight
attention.
Constantinople itself Is grand
pageant every day. It's 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 trims, bur
dened with charcoal, through the maze
OF street cars, shrieklng army motor
cars and carriages. pilotcd over the
rough paving at brealmcck speed by
Turkish hostlcrs who crack their whips
and shout constantly at high pitch 10
pedestrians who venture Off the mar
row sidewalks.
Turks mounted on tiny donheys
move indlnercntly through this mael-
strom. Occasionally Turkish peasants
drive a flock of sheep or turkeys into
this swirl OF traffic and serene oxen
draw heavy carts along ot q pace
so slow that drivers Of military CAME
ons curse them in 10 languages.
The narrow, crooked streets of Con
stantinOple are ill-suited TO motor traf-
fic and the slow-going fatal~tic Turk
is little inclined To change his pace.
Consequently there are many acct
dents and the Indifference with which
foreign military cars are driven hos
done much TO Intensity Turkish hatred
Of foreigners.