Evening star., 1923-08-19

It's ceaSelesS procession of TurHR.
Greeks, Arneniap:,. lsraelites. French
and Italian officers. Persians. Arabs.
negroes, gypsies. American drum
lners, British soldiers and Russian
refusees-the queerest High street in
the world. the meeting place between
the east and the west the unsafa
sanctuary Of those in flight from the
greatest tragedy in the world. which
was i'm Russia
often ! went down to the Galata
bridge with my young son. glancine
often over my shoulder when there
was any crush. because ! did not
want his young life ended By a stab
in the back. which happened some
times, ! was told. 10 soldier BOYS Of
ours. Beyond that bridge. where two
Turks stood receiving toll from all
who passed. was the beginning Of
the east. stretching away and away
t" that great swarmine east. which
was held back from Europe by a
few British regiments. and the last
prestige of the European peoples.
weakened by it's internecine warfare.
= :: s.
TOULD We hold baon the east for
~ ever, or even the Turkish ma
tionalists from this city on the BoS-
porus? Across, the bridge came
Turkish porttrs carrying great loads
at the nape of The neck Persians in
high fur caps, kurdS, l.agis Arabs.
Sudanese. negroes, gypsy queens in
tattered robes. smart Young Turks
in black coats and the red feZ Turk
ish women in blue silk gowns. deep
ly Vei!ed. In the bazaars nearby
there We're swarms Of Turks, Ar
menians and Jews. selling German
and American goods. oriental spices.
Turkish and Persian carpets. dried
fruits, shell oil Around In. mosaues
Of Stamboul sat groups Of Turks.
smoking their narghili and talking.
between the hours when they washed
their feet according to the law of
the Prophet. Camel caravans, with
NANCY. tired beasts, heavily laden
plodded down narrow streets and
their drivers had news to tell, excit-
ing 10 little groups Of Turks who.
gathered round. What news" What
excitement? There were hidden emo
tions, passions. secrets among these
people, at which ! could only guess.
or fail TO guess.
! There was. ] thought, only on..
safeguard against massacre in this
city seething with racial hatred. II
was the fear of those Young Britisl.
! soldiers. with their French comrades
and sailor cousins, who kept order
III Constantinople. 1t was a fear in
| spifed mainly by British prestige
We had no great strength at that
time. as far as | could see less than.
! two full divisions of infantry-most-
iy boys who had been too Young L.
! fight in the great war-and some
Indian cavalry. Mohammedans lil<s
! the Turks. In the Bosporus. it was
true. there was "A considerable. fleet
led by the Iron Duke and SOM
I American warships. but rising In
Consta ntiuople. AN attack on the
European quarters. would lead To
! dirty work. There would lie many
! Christian throatS cut
! The British troops did not seem
u nervous They are never nervous
, bat take things as they come Al
! the upper end OF the Rue de Pera
! there were numbers of wine shops
/ ard dancing halls where they gath
cred in the evenings. AS | passed
! them / saw groups like those with
which l had heeu familiar in III.
! eStaminetS The western front.
/ They were singing the same ola
! songs. Through the. swing doors
I came gusts of laughter and thos.
: ch"ruseS roared hy lusty voices Iu
/ Constantinople as in Flanders: Thr
y NJ. e. a. was doing good work IN
! keeping them out nf temptations ;
I way. down back alleys. where Greek
(! girls waited for them. or wherr
| Turkish ladies hid in the dark court
yards. Du the whole. they gave no