The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-11-19
SUNDAY. NOVEMBER 10. 1922


Consta ntinople to Malta aboard a
British warship places for the first
time In history the person Of the
Caiph, The spiritual head Of Islam.
under the protection OF a Christian
Power. The significant facts in the
situation are that this Power is the
British En- Ire, rule extends
over more than 100000 900 Moslems,
and TIL Mon yed this pro-
lection Islam be-
cause he Del AT his life and
liberty were in peril from the Kemal-
fists, now the dominant party in
Turkey.
BY their deposition Of MoHAMMED
as Sultan and their plans to over
throw him as Caliph KEMAL and his
followers have done the thing which
their radical Asiatic adherents de-
clared Great Britain was attempting
to do, and while they may dispose
of the Sultanate as a purely ma
tional affair they will find the ques-
ton Of the Caliphate. which con-
Germs the whole Moslem world, a
much more difficult matter. For
years. in fact ever since the mani
festation of the weakness Of the old
Ottoman Empire, the fate Of the
Caliphate has been discussed by the
European Powers which rule over
large Mohammedan populations.
The question, though, has been
handled with extreme care, for 1t was
always considered by non-Moslem
peoples to be full of serious compli-
cations and perplexities.
Strictly speaking the Caliph should
be of the tribe or Koreish, to which
the Prophet belonged, yet the Cali
phate has been held by the Ottoman
Sultans, without any apparent oppo-
sition from Islam, since early In the
sixteenth century. At that time 1t
was usurped by SELrM I. The Caliph
is the keeper OF the holy places OF
Islam and OF the holy relics Of the
Prophet, his cloak, standard and
hairs from his beard. These relics
SEI.rM is said to have obtained from
q descendant of the last OF the Abb
bassides.
The right of the Ottoman Sultans
TO the Caliphate has frequently been
questioned The matter was gone
over thoroughly by Moslem jurists
when Sultan MunAp was deposed
because he did not possess proper
physical and moral qualifications and
when ABDUL HAND was deprived of
the Office by order Of the Shelk-ul-
Islam. When a suggestion was made
by Sir GEORGE BIRDwoop as late as
1850 that descendant of the Abbas-
sides, whom he believed entitled to
the Office, was living In obscurity In
Cairo, the man was very soon after
ward assassinated. The Ottoman
sultans SO successfully obscured the
issues involved that they we're never
ousted. Even the Kemalists would
retain the Caliphate In the Ottoman
family though they would take away
from it the Sultanate.
When In the world war Il be-
came evident that Turkish power
was failing there were three differ
ent men brought forward as possible
candidates for the Caliphate. French
statesmen advocated the candidacy
of MAuLY Yusur. Sultan OF Morocco,
and Russian diplomacy Of the old
regime favored the Amir OF Afghan
istan. Great Britain, It was re-
ported, intended to bring forward che
Sultan OF Egypt as It's candidate.
Russia has dropped out Of the con-
test and II lie doubtful II either France
or Great Britain would now favor
the candidates whose interests they
once advanced.
This does not mean. however, that
either nation has lost It's interest In
tho Caliphate. for to the Moslems OF
both France and Great Britain the
question is OF vital Importance. The
matter, Il is said. may come up for
discussion at Lausanne: but It's set
Element by that conference Is very
improbable. The choice OF Caliph
~ matter for Mohammedans. The
MoeIem world would not accept a
European settlement In fact, Great
Britain has been endeavoring TO i'm
press upon Islam that 1t does not
wish to interfere in matters concern
ing the Caliphate. The position
which the Empire assumes is ex-
pressed In a recent semi-official state
r1ent that "the British Empire. as
great Mohammcdan Power, owes TO