Evening star., 1922-11-18
Governor of ConstantinopIe
Incensed Over English
Part in His Escape.
.NATI0NALISTS CONSIDER
CALIPHATE IS VACATED
Guard Against Escape of Other Ac.
cused Oficials-Plan to Sc
lect New Sultan.
By the Associated Press.

| By the Associated Press.
CONSTANTINOPLE, November 1S.-
| The Turkish nationalists consider
| that Sultan Mohammed VI by his
| flight has surrendered the caliphate.
according to Rafet Pasha. Kemalist
governor of constantinople.
According to the Moslem law" he
told the Associated Press, when the
sultan leaves Turkish soil and enters
Christian territory he places himself
under Christian protection and there
by loses the caliphate. ceasing to
retain any authority over the Mos
lems."
Britain's Part Condemned.
Mohammed's departure on the Brit
| ish dreadnaught Malaga In the face
| of threatened trial for treason by the
Angora government was compared by
Rafet Pasha to the plight Of Damad
Ferid Pasha, former grand vizier. and
| the other members of the opposition
who by their acts were compromised
In the eyes of the whole Turkish
| nation"
Great Britain's connivance in the
escape" he added. "is fragrant inter-
ference in Turkeys internal affairs.
Rafet was much agitated. He spent
| several hours following the escape
in frantitcally telephoninE Angora
| for instructions and taking precau-
tions against the flight Of the mem
| bers Of the sultan's cabinet and other
high personages wanted by the ma
| tionalists. He sent a message to An
cora urging immediate convocatlon
Of the great national assembly to
select q new caltph.
The most likely candidate for the
caliphate is considered to be Abdul
Medjid. cousin of the sultan and heir
| to the Ottoman throne.
May Demand Return.
1t is reported here that the Angora
government will make formal repre-
sentations to Great Britain for the
return of the sultan to the Kemalists.
pointing out that only the great ma
tional assembly of Turkey has su-
thority to direct the sultan's move
ments and declaring that he must
face trial as ordered by the govefn-
mesit. ~,
The sultan left his palace by the
back door. known as the Malta gate.
which heretofore has always been
| sealed The British for some time had
been aware Of his anxiety and fear
for his personal safety. and were pre-
pared to remove him when he said
the word. They explained. however.
that the REQUEST for safe conduct
must come. from him. as they could
not be placed in the false position OF
having Kidnapped him.
They also pointed put that he must
TO q reasonable distance from the
palace, as 1t was inexpedient to intro
duce British guards into the grounds.
because Of the danger OF conflict with
the Kemalist soldiery there. The sui
tan agreed to all Of these conditions.
Only Three Knew Of Flight.
Only three persons in the palace
knew of the intended fight. namely.
the court chamberlain. the sultan's
personal physician and his bandmas-
ter. These were the only palace Off
cials he trusted toward the end, and
he even kept his wives in the dark as
to his plans.
The flight was SO carefully ar
ranged that the nationalist officers
and soldiers stationed in the palace
grounds did not learn of it until
ceremony at noon, in which the sultan
was to have participated.
All pedestrian and vehicular traffic
in the neighborhood Of the palace was
then stopped and the place was sur
rounded by nationalist military and
gendarmerie. Within the palace con-
sternation reigned among the sultan's
wives and eunuchs.
At the selamlik q number Of Ameri-
cans waited in vain for the sultan's
ceremonial progress to the mosque.
The only indication they had of any
additional Kemalist soldiers in the
places usually occupied by the sui
tan's Imperial guards.
J. Believed Confined BY Cold.
Maj. Sherman Miles, American mill
tary attache and the son Of Lieut.. Gen.
selamlik with his wife. He inquired of
| the sultan's aide as to Mohammed's
whereabouts. to which the aide replied +:
| He is safe in the palace. but has very
venture out" 1t was apparent from
the officers sincerity that even he was
| ignorant of his chiefs escape
When the Associated Press corre-
spondent visited the palace on Thurs
day. the sultan made known. through a
remaining on the throne. He declared
the action Of the Angora government in
abolishing the sultanate was invalid and
was not supported by his 300.000.000
Moslem subjects in India and elsewhere.
Inquired n to U. 8. Attitude.
He inquired through his chamberlain
regarding the sentiment Of the people OF
the United States. whom he held in ad-
miration and esteem, and begged the
correspondent to deny reports Of his
abdication. He also asked the Ameri-
can people not to believe all the stories
Of Turkish atrocities.
The chamberlain represented his SOW
ereign as spending much time in prayer
and in preparing documents to show
| himself blameless for the events Of the
last four years, which have kept Con.
stantinople under allied control.
''The sultan IL q highly religious
and patriotic man." said the cham.
berlain, land has done nothing to
reflect upon the Turkish nation. He
has acted throughout Turkeys long
period Of anguish according to the
dictates Of his conscience and In con-
sonance with the high and sacred
precepts Of his illustrious predeses-
'a-or, the great prophet. Mohammed." I"