The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-09-26

indeed ch1med In NOury Bey, n
young captain of horse. The little,
little jackal howls-but will my old
buffalo die?"
by Allah and AllahP added Kemal
Pasha. winding up the pleasant round
of oriental metaphors. THE drum
which booms most loudly is filled
with wind"
Came loud laughter. the Europeans
vying with the Turks, while the
walters cleared away the salad plates
and while General Townsend, wink
ing at Franklin-Bo who was
| in the secret. rose and said to his
host that he adored the Turkish
ouisine-"all except the desserts-too
sticky, old man! So 1 have taken
the liberty of bringing dessert of
my own!"
The general called for his Indian
servant who appeared. carrying an
enormous, dome shaped sponge cake,
pink frosted, and crowned by the
figure of Greek god of victory
made of sugar.
Renal Pasha's Attitude
Again there was silence, The Eu-
ropeans We're not quite sure how
/ Mustapha Kemal Pasha would take
the joke. The latter stared at the
| sugary Greek god with his sad, gray
eyes. Then, very suddenly. he smiled,
| thinly, ironically. He turned to his
body servant with a few whispered
words. The man salaamed. left, and
returned shortly afterward with his
masters sword.
Renal Pasha drew 1t. He balanced
the splendid old Arab blade for a
second or two so that the lights mir
rored in the polished. blue steel like
| oressets of i'll omen. Then, all at
1
| the air, and neatly decapitated the
sugary Greek god of victory.
This" he said in high, clear
voice, SIS what 1 shall do to the
| Greeks before winter sets inE'
He did II. He succeeded. And In
his very success is the story, histori-
cal and psychological less of himself
than of all Turkey. of all Islam. of
the Moslems extraordinary resil-
iency and power of recuperation. III
explains why Turkey, the sick man
of Europe, has weathered the storms
of the past. as he will those of the
future.
The answer to this riddle is OF
special interest to Americans. For II
is contained in the one word, "democ-
lracy"-a democracy, Of course, winch
has an oriental sting to its tall.
For ever since Gilman, the Tartar
chief from Khorassan, swept out OF
Central Asia to conquer and to hold
the richest provinces of the GLOBE the
ruling caliphs of Turkey, like In
deed all Moslem dynasties, nave
maintained urbroken the principle
that birth and wealth count fol
nothing, and that strength and aoii'
ity are the only qualifications FOL
the service of the state. Even slavery
has never been a barrier to political
or military preferment. OFTEN SUI
tan has stopped among the crowd
land has given the mantle OF his oWr
iimitless power to soldier, tanissary
slipper bearer. pipe-wallah, eunuch
or renegade, asking of him only one
thing: Successl
Absolute equality within the
faithg' is the dogma of Islam, ana al
such that of Turkey. In manner
III is also the dogma of America and
Of England But in Turkey the
reality of it is more salient and
being q wonderful attraction TO ths
picked men of inferior races VINO IN
America and in England would Dc
haired from high service through So
cial or radical prejudice 1t has pro
yided the caliphs of the Ottoman claf
with an endless supply OF men o.
genius and ability. The history o.
tina grand NfLleIb hhN
| pashas of Turkey Is the history OF
men who. unhampered by the OBJ
stacles of birth, cultivation or socia
positton. have risen by sheer force o.
ability-in war and in peace.
Take again Mustapha Renal Pasna
/ OF spanish-Jewish Blood
n. is not even of Osmanli blood
Born and bred in some humble
quarter of Constantinople, almost II
the slums. he joins the army as
youngster. He works, steadily, per
sistently, rises by sheer force OF am
ity to a captaincy in the infantry
transfers to the artillery, then to thu
staff. He uses a years furlough t6
study at the Turkish war college
passes a brilliant examination, anC
is sent to the Berlin Kriegs-Schule
| The first Balkan war sees him ma
ior. Turkish defeat and peace findi
him a slightly embittered, slightly
disappointed man. on the point o
quitting his chosen vocation. Blu
he is a patriot. He reconsiders. H
studies the campaigns of the world
| great generals: Caesar, Tamerlane
Gustavus Adolphus Of Sweden, Ma
poleon, wellington. Frederick thu
Great, Moltke. Grant and Lee. At TIN
outbreak of the World war he Il
frankly pro-ally. But Turkey de
clares for Germany and, like an.
other soldier, he obeys orders. H
fights for his country. He Is Il
command at Gallipoli and victori
ously repels the British troops there
sending them back helter-skelter t
their ships. 1t seems that he is tn
man of the hour. But the German
general staff, remembering his for
mer pro-ally leanings, becomes nerv
GUS, fears his military success nigh
make of him an important politica
factor, and induces Enver Pasha, thu
COMMUNICATIVE chief. to send him Il
Anatolia in an unimportant training
position, as a major general. HI
does not complain; does not try K
pull wires in Constantinople. HI
obeys orders, goes to Anatolia, ant
trains soldiers. With great care
with tact and kindness, yet witt
steely discipline, he fashions an army
out of bearded. gray-haired peasants
and their beardless 16-year ole
grandsons and sends them into bat
tie to capture General Townsed ant
his 10000 at Kut-el-Amara. to keer
|