New-York tribune., 1922-11-26
New Caliph
Of Islam Puts
Peace First
New Ottoman Ruler Is Lib
eral. Cultivated asid Far
sighted i'm Political Views
Concerning World Affairs
Blame Laid to Greece
Conflict i'm the Near East
Attributed to Her Greed
a1,deOiI Along Black Sea
By William l.. Mcpherson

In electing Abdul Medjid Effendi
Caliph of Islam the Great Assembly
Of Angora showed Judgment and mod
Grafton. The deposition of Moham-
med VI was revolutionary. 1t is
not unusual in Turkey to remove
one Sultan and substitute another.
Since 1881 every Turkish Emperor
but one has been deposed. But
in ejectine Mahommed VI the Assem-
bly, also abolished the Sultanate. All
Turkish sovereignty now resides in the
national legislature. But the Caliph-
ate, divorced from the sultanste, sur
wives, and the Assembly has vested
itself with the right to select head
Of the faith from among the princes
! Of the. House of Osman.
The Angora politicians could have
ignored precedence and picked out any
/ one of those princes. But they hcsi-
tated to offend fixed Islamic prejudices.
/ They elected the most competent MEM
Der OF the imperial family. but at Che
same time the one to whom the Sui
sanatc and the Caliphate would have
descended in accordance to the success
sion ordinance Of 1917,
Prior to that date the throne had
passed from father to son, though not
necessarily to the first son. The in
hefitor, If he was wary or bloodthirsty
enough, then murdered all his brothers
and possible rivals. But after the
death Of Ahmed II the divan estab
lished the rule that the Sultanate
should &c TO the former monarch's old
est living male relative.
Rule Still Is Unbroken:
Applies Only TO CaliDhate
This rule is still unbroken, though
applying now only to the Caliphate.
Abdul Medjid is the oldest living male
relative Of the cxiled and denoted Ma
homn7ed VI. He Is the son of Abdul
Asaz l, who ruled from 1851 to 1876,
and was then set aside in favor of
Murad V, the son of his older brother,
Abdul Mediid I. The four Sultans from
Murad V on were Medjidians. The new
Calinh, although his name is Medjid, is
an Azizian. II is all even more compli-
Gated than Virginia family tree.
Islam has had strange Caliphs-- fiery
warriors, crafty Oriental politicians
and degenerate products of the system
Of semi-interment to which heir-ap-
parents to the throne have been SUBJ
Jected. But the Mahcmetan world has
never seen Defender OF the Faith
who, like Abdul Aediid, has disregard
ed the pfecepts Of the Koran so far as
to engage in portrait painting. He is
an artist Of taste and facility and once
exhibited in the Paris Salon a paintinc
entitled "A Lesson in History and
containing the figure Of his cousin.
Prince Salahedin EfRendi He also pro-
duced large historical canvas. repre
senting Abdul Hamid II ("Abdul the
Dsmned") receiving notice of has depo-
sition in 1909 from deputstion Of
Young Turks. This has never been ex-
hibited, but it is said to picture the
eE-Sultan as he then was with Hfelike
fidelity.
Abdul Medjid was himself long a
recluse and a semi-prisoner. For CHR
ty-three years he was virtually con-
fined by his father, old Abdul Asiz. He
said not long ago: ~ was happy dur
ing those long years because mar
ried early. at twenty-four, and mar
rled for love. and then l used my mind
drawing wisdom from the works OF the
worlds philosophers" Abdul is
Moslem philosopher-in fact, rather
no1l-lslamic philosopher so far as the
line Of the Csliphs goes. He has had
but one wife, who, now that he is
Caiiph, will enjoy romantic status
and renown somewhat similar to
those OF Roxalana, the wife of Sulei
man the Magnificent
Newest Leader of islam
A Man of Reai Character
The new head of Islam is man.
then, of unusual character and culture,
He is progressive and liberal, scholar
ly and self-contained. and politically
farsighted enough to break away from
the Dro-English views of Mahommed
VI and the great majority Of the
royal princes and so sympthize more
or less openly with Mustapha Kemal
and the Nationalist movement
A French writer and diplomatic
agent, N. Claude Farrere, gave an ac-
count not long ago Of visit he made
last spring TO the Turkish heir appar-
ent, now Caliph. 1t is worth repro
ducing for the intimacy of the nor-
trait drawn and, incidentally, it's naive
demolition Of most American precon-
ceptions Of what Turkish prince is
and how he conducts himself. Says
Farrere:
81 had the honor O.. counting myself
among his friends, as all those are who
have come in contact with him; for
Abdul Medjid Ii has no enemies. And
can say, without hesitation. that his
coming to the throne will delight not
only all the empire and all Islam, but
also ell the European colonies in Con-
stantinople, the French colony perhaps
more than any other.