The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-10-17
TELLS OF 4
YEARS SPENT
IN NEAR EAST
Linton Man Declares Euro
peans i4n0h to America as
Land Of Paradise
TURKS ON EDUCATION
Law Allowing Students of All
Nationaiities' To Atteud
SchGn! Wise

a picture Of life in the Near East
-s contained in letter written by
Lester Bliggle. treasurer of the Con
stdhtinople Women's college. and
former resident Linton. The letter
follows:
: "Tine works strange and peculiar
changes. Even short period like
four years considered from one point
Of view seems like ages and from an
other viewpoint it is as yesterday.
when we reminisce we usually find
much that we wish might have been
different or that we would do diff
fcrently if we had it to do over
again, but happily and on the con-
rrary l have no regrets for time
{ spent sine, leaving Linton, Emmons
county December 90, 1919. This is
no reflection against any thing con-
nected with North Daktoa or the
GOOD old U. S. A. for the longer any
real American is away from his ma
tive land and the farther he gets
Z away from it the more he learns to
love it and the greater attraction it
has for him. Continually We are COM
ing in contact with poor fellows who
have enjoyed the riches and pleas
ures Of America for number of
years and for various reasons have
gone back to their old homes and
have been caught in war ruined
country without the necessary proof
Of American citizenship. Their
money soon disappears even though
IT is dollars, the worlds standard
medium of exchange today. Such
fellows are really, Men without
country" and the most pathetic
sight imaginable. Any American
who finds it difficult to appreciate
his country should visit his foreign
passport bureaus in the Near East
and see the thousands ciamoring 1or
admittance to this one and only spot
in the world which seems to-them a
sar-dl e. 1t is not my idea to write
.ou about America except to help
.oa u fuller appreciation OF
cou-try. Living in Turkey
tae feeling that l had las,
We stood on the rim o.
Ter Of Iount |esuvius a..
.oEn INTO its seething. belch-
100. One is conscious Of the
~ Of gigantic b.owup
od.d spell disaster III huge
-e1as, still you linger enjoy
AZ thrill sure that nothing Will
wh4ie you are there.
e have been IN Constantine
A-s always seemed that we
81 approaching a crisis which
never quite reached. Today
senber ,zard. Oct. 18th, the Ar-
Ia powers viii have entirely eva
ed Constantinople except few
station ships of hardly sufficient
.onnage to evacuatc the foreign col
onis il needed and the new Tur-
kish Government will be IN full con
troll
"A few rather pessimistic folks
predict bad times for foreigners and
possibly u disaster, while most of
Us feel perfectly secure. Constan-
tinople Womans' College with which
| have the pleasure Of working has
just opened its fall term with an
enrolment OF Greek and Armenian
girls greatly in the majority After
the fall of the Greek government,
and the Smyrna disaster. and the
complete victory Of the Turkish
army Turkey declared Turkey Cor
the Turks" and demanded an ex-
change of foreign population which
locked very bad for American col
steges in Turkey as most of their
students were foreigners, however
she Turkish government has, lately
and wisely passed law admitting
Students into her country irrespec-
tivesof nationality. This was a very
clever move on the part of the high
fr officials which, has gained much
favor with the foreign population.
For centuries Turkey has shown
inability to form stable. and strong
government and the whole world is
looking this way at this time won
dering just what success she is go
ing to have now with this new, un-
tried government, the Grand Nation
al Assembly, at -Angora.
I'm April | had the great privilege
OF visiting Angora and confering
personally with Rouf Bey, then
Prime Minister, and Fetie Bey, Min
lister of the Interior, and who is now
Prime Minister.
AT later date l will write de-
.scription of this trip to Angora from