The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-09-23
CARNIVAL 0F e!
Turkish Capital the Most "Wide
0peR' of Cities.
Sominsliy Under Allied Control, There
70 No Interference With Any form
OF Revelry That Could 30
Thought OF.

Constantinople now combines all the
frenzy Of a new mining camp and II
world seaport. It's "the end OF the
traiP' 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 miilionaires and Sy-
rian merchants rush to Constantinople
20 pop champagne In proof Of their
success. Soldiers and sailors of haIs
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 it was un.
der the Turks. There are no ciyi.
courts. None OF the allies desire to
"ssume responsibility for reforms 9th
.r than are necessary to safeguard
iHe. Italian, French and British
'roops cooperate with the Turkish
Gendarmerie in keeping order. But
'verybody's job is nobody's Job. Con.
saquently Constantinople is a very
"ide-open town. Midnight closing is
enforced pretty generally, but until
mat hour there is little interference
With dance halls, gambling dives and
ledlight districts unless murder Is
committed.
Leadville and Goldfield in their diz.
lest days never offered anything
wilder than certain sections Of Con.
"tantinople. where jazz bands vie with
Neapolitan orchestras and tsigane
singers in their efforts to. attract way
farers into the beer tunnels and dance
halls filled to overfiowing with the
painted women of many nationalitiss
Half 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 In
me Russian prilna donnas and bare,
legged dancers whose art is usually
rs meagcr as their attire. Turks,
.\rabs. Bedorins. Egyptians and AS
syrians gorgeously clad in native cos
tunes. elbow their way among Co.'S
sacks and Georgians whose Uniforms
re far more brilliant than their re.
"ent military achievements.
Coal-black French colonials, re-
splendent in red fezzes and green kha-
si. mingle with Sikhs and Punjabi,
whose long hair and many-colored
headdresses are wrapped in somber
brown. Civilians, soldiers and sailors
from all parts Of the world are hope,
!essly jumbled together In CONSTANT
nople crowds and are 80 busy looking
at each other that tenors from the
Petrograd opera, naughty French sing
ers from Montmartre and Austrian
strong-jawed ladies claim but slight
attention.
Constantinople itself is a grand
pageant every day. Its main thor
oughfare, Rue Grand Pera, is more
fascinating than any scene which pro-
iucers ever can hope to stage. Camel
drivers lead their patient trains, bur.
dened witt charcoal, through the maze
Of street cars, shrieking army motor
cars and carriages. piloted over the
rough paving at breakneck speed by
Turkish hostlers who crack their whips
and shout constantly at high pitch to
pedestrians who venture Off the mar
row sidewalks.
Turks mounted on tiny donkeys
move indiffcrenHy through this mael-
strom. Occasionally Turkish peasants
drive flock Of sheep or tuakeys into
this swirl Of traffic and serene oxen
draw heavy carts along at racs
so slow that drivers Of military cami-
ens curse them in 10 languages.
The narrow. crooked streets Of Con-
stantlnople are ill.suited to motor traf-
&c and the slow-going fatalistic Turk
is little inclined to change his pace.
Consequently there are many acci
dents and the Indifference with which
foreign military cars are driven has
done much to intensity Turkish hatred
of foreigners.