Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-01-09
c, A, MENACE,
TURKS PROCLAIM
Any Person Visiting Associa-
tons Quarters Will Be
Declared Traitor.
HELD RELIGIOUS ENEMY
Organization Attacked as Seeking
to Destroy Customs and Tradi-
tons of Country.
HELD RELIGIOUS ENEMY
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.
BY Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News.
! Copyright. 1922.
| CONSTANTINOPLE, Turkey, Janu-
airy s.-Any Turk visiting the Young
Mems Christian Association quarters
| Is declared traitor to his countryA
according to a proclamation issued
| the commissioner of public educa-
ton in Angora and transmitted to
/ Constantinople today. The procla-
nation is addressed mainly to Turkish
youths. 1t points out that allied
armies are occupying Turkish terri
| tory and are using all available means
to keep the country permanently.
| Besides brute force, the enemy uses
! the system Of peaceful penetration
| with view to making iurhist,
Young men forget their religloh anu
nationality. The proclamation reaos:
| Declared Religious Menace.
"One of the most powerful organi-
cations and the most dangerous on
account Of it's immense hnancial oack
| ing is that founded by American
| clergymen, and which is supporting
| the Y. NJ. c. A. clubs. These must be
; considered by every decent Turk as
| the greatest menace to natlonal cui
! ture and religious ideas. No man OF
common sense can find it natural or
/! believable that in an age when eco
| nomic interests stand above everything
! else American missionaries, who are
not Interested in Constantinople.
! should open clubs at great sacrince
| for purely esthetic, civilizing pur-
poses.
| 1T would be senseless to believe
| that foreign powers, which are indif-
ferent spectators of the slaughter1ng
! and plundering in Anatolia. Will Speno
money to secure the iptellectual anu
uhysical culture of the Turks. Inc
| y. NJ. c. \. aims to destroy the GUS
toms and traditions of Turkey ana us
ideals are Numerically opposed 10
l. the national and religious belief OF
the Mussulmans. Statistics hase
reached Angora proving that tne
activity of the clubs is fully success
| full. Great numbers of Turks are at
tracted by charming evening parties'
: clever discussions and other enter
tainments arranged in the most
| treacherous and satanic manner oy
! leaders who have joined these ciuos'
!. Chief Grievances.
| The chief grievances against the l.
NJ c. A. are enumerated mus:
Il. Contrary to our custom the CLUBS
i hiring together young men and Wom-
en- in the same way as they 90 IN
European society with the ushest
manifestations.
80 They awaken in the young PEG,
pie desire for European dress anu
! tastes. ;.
/ -. They are opposed to the spirit
of an independent existence by our
country and with that end IN view
| took advantage of the war conoltlons'
| a. They help in the free develop
ment of foreign religious haoi's III
| Turkey. 80 +ho
rs. They desire to strike at the
Mohammedan religion"
| The manifesto closes by urging
| Turkish youths not to join the i. NJ.
| c. A. and orders those VINO nave JUN
| ed already to resign at nome.
.Those who dare to act to the con-
trary." SAYS the proclamation, will
| he denounced as traitors to the coun-
| try. tAfter the circulation and read
| ing of this manifesto, any TURK JOIN
ing the Y. NC A. will be considered
| &c aiding the propaganda against the
| independence of the fatheriand, and
/; will be sentenced accordingly.
! Proclamation Ordered Banned.
| Fearing that this proclamation
/ might produce considerable Stir
among the allies, the sublime porte
! ordered it's removal two hours after
| it was posted. The foreign office is
alarmed lest these ultra. lsslc
and chauvinistic tendencies may harm
! Turkish interests at the coming Paris
f; conference. But many copies OF the
| manifesto are being secretly clrcu-
lated among Turkish students.
| AS a matter of fact, the number OF
| Turks who have joined the Y. M. G. A.
is comparatively small, Christian
Ottoman subjects forming the great
! majority of the members. In spite
| of the increasing influence of Euro
/ pean ideas among educated Turks in
| Constantinople. Turkish youths are
| reluctant to join a club where pray
ers are said and psalms sung before
and after meals and lessons. On the
! other hand, a great proportion of the
| Young Women's Christian Associa-
| ton clubs here are Turkish women
because the organizations are run on
| strictly social lines, even the Sunday
| services being replaced by sOciables.