Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-03-12
LOCAL YOUNG MAN
GIVES VIEWS ON
TURKISH TRAVELS

TURKISH TRAVELS
1.-THE Turks have been. most
shamefully slandered in the last few
years by propagandists," declared
Clark Drummond. Waterville young
man who has just recently returned
from Turkey where he has spent
more than eighteen months in the
heart of the Turkish republic. to a
representative of the Kennebec
Journal yesterday morning at the
home Of his parents Mr.. and Mrs. A.
F. Drummond % Morrill, Ave. What
] have seen Of the Turks l like; they
are an easy going and peaceful peo-
pie as a whole, but when they have
been stirred into religious fanatic
mood by craZed ruler. they are not
responsible for what they do" Mr..
Drummond continued.
Mr.. Drummond went on to tell that
ell of the outrages that the Turks
have been accused of in the last few
years have been a direct result Of
these fanatical outbreaks caused by
a half craZed ruler who has been dis
POSED. Mr.. Drummond declared that
Row the Turks were under most
favorable form Of national Govern
ment with Mustapha Renal Pasha
as it's president. The big men in the
present Turkish republic like Mus
tapha Renal Pasha, Raouf Bey, Raj
! fet Pasha and Ismet Bey, who took
such an important part in the Lau
same affair last year. are str:ctly
honest and are doing their most fer
the uplift of their country and Tie
present government is remarkably
frntr Ir,
that their salvation lies in Angcrt
ana have established their capitol
there where it is very difficult for
] persons to reach. The old influences
! of Constantinople are not desired
by the leaders and consequently they
| have set up their capitol elsewhere.
| ut is my belief" continued Mr..
| Drummond, THAT the greatest mis-
! take in recent years was made in
! European politics when tho territory
! in the vicinity of Constantinople and
i the Dardanelles were given back to
! the Turks. This is the key to the
entire Balkan situation and should
, have remained under one or even
two greater European powers SO as
to have this way always open. AS
it is. the new National government
; in Turkey may do the right thing
show what they can do"
| American and English business IN
II 1rocarious position ut the present
lime in Turkey owing to the :onfus-
ion about laws which are intended
tC control such business houses. MIR.
DrummCnd stated that the ,rlpituta-
tions were abolished in 1919 and that
made the Americans subject to the
American and not The Turkish courts
in Turkey. Since there has been no
treaty signed between the United
State and Turkey and the Lausanne
Treaty has not been ratified, the
standing of Americans IN Turkey in
business is far from reassrrin:,.
The Americans contend that the
CaI itulations were not abolished IN
1919 while tho Turks uphold that
' they were, consequently there is 4
, great deal of business trouble in
Turkey. n greater part CT american
! busiress houses will suspend bus:-
| ness in the Moslcum country alter.
! March Is because of the ~isks shat
thy run. 1t is also Question,
r'ht cher or not American business
will cotinus after this date and at
: the present time English and Ameri-
can business is fast leaving the coun-
| try.
! Americans had rather deal with
Turks than Greeks and Armenians,
declared Mr.. Drummond, as they
were fair and square in all Of their
:: transactions and while they knew
, practically nothing about notes.
drafts and interest, they always stood
by their word. Mr. Drummond cited
f, the case Of Turkish millionaire to-
bacco exporter who does q business
amounting into the millions every
Year with American tobacco indus
tries. This gentlemen never writes
cut the purchase price of his goods
with the smaller merchants and his
customers collect their money when
ever they want it without the bother
of notes and interest. Many citizens
take their bags of money to this man
for safe keeping in his safe and feel
more assured than as though the
money was resting in the vaults or
the banks.
| Mr.. Drummond thought that the
relief IN the Near East was bestowed
too much on professional objects of
! relief and that when the Greeks and
Armenians left Constantinople the
! Near East Relief also left to aid
! them alone. He stated that there
were as many poor and needy people
, in Turkey who would never ask for
| assistance as there were in Greece
| and the other southern countries and
| that many of the Turks deserved this
aid more than did other peoples.
| In speaking of religion in Turkey,
MIR. Drummond said that Of course
the greater percentage of them were
Mohammedans and they believed in
their religion as much as Christians
believed in theirs. He stated that
in many respects, the Mohammedan
Turks were of higher type than the
Greek Christians and lived their lives
quietly without trying 20 create trou-
BILE. why try to convert these peo-
pie to Christianity" asked Mr..
Drummond. when they believe as
much in their religion and have all
the right in the world to believe in it,
as we have to believe IN ours?" What
the people Of Turkey need more than
missionaries Is education. especially
along modern business lines. Their
religion serves them as ours serves us,
but If business missionaries should go
to Turkey and educate the people
along business lines. the greatest
sood would come of The nation. Not
business alone, but all forms of edu-
cation should also be sent to that
Moselum country. He stated that the
missionaries there only saw one side
OF the Turkish people and spread
their stories of that side before look
ing to the other.
The police power in Constantinople
was highly praised by the speaker