Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-28
RUSSIAN REFUGEES
BANNED BY TURKS
Remnant of WrangeI'S Fol-
lowers Must Leave Con-
stantinopIe.

All Russian refugees remaining in
Constantinople were recently noti-
fed by the Turkish governor of the
city that they must leave Turkey
without delay.
This forced movement Of the
remnant of the army of White Rus
slams that fed to Constantinople
when the revolution took place brings
to an end an unusual chapter in
the story of a city that has seen
more Kaleidoscope changes than
most of its fellows" says a bulletin
from the headquarters of the Ma
tional Geographic Society.
Refugees Condition Pitiful.
"By 1921 nearly 100000 Russians
had reached Constantinople. Most
Of them came when Wrangers army
was driven out of the Crimea. Boats
were packed with the refugees so
that some Of them died in an up
right position during the voyage
across the Black Sea and down the
BosporuS.
AT first the condition of these
expatriates in Constantinople was
pitiable. Many camped out on vacant
spaces and others slept on the steps
of mosques. Hundreds peddled flow
ers, cakes, dolls and various trinkets.
Others begged or hopelessly hunted
jobs. One saw refined and cultured
Russian ladies serving as mattresses
in cafes and restaurants. Dignified
professional men and army officers
took care of hats and coats; and
artists of ability s1awked pot boiler
sketches of the jagged skyline of
Constantinople.
Commission houses sprang< up by
the dozen for the sale of various
heirlooms that the refugees had
brought with them in their flight,
and found they must sell to pro-
vide bread. In these places one could
buy at bargain prices valuable jew
elry, luxurious furs, bric-a-brac,
weapons and a variety of other per
sonal belongings.
Gradually thousands Of these refu
gees were placed in Rumania, Bul
garia and Jugoslavia, where they
could find work for which their edu
cations and experiences fitted them
Recently the number of Russians ir
Constantinop1e had dwindled to about
and hat boys had long since passed
the few Muscovites left had all made
fairly good places for themselves il
the city''s life.
Succeeded i'm Business.
"If the Turkish edict is enforced
consistently the people of CONSTANT
nople will feel its effects in business
that must suspend. Probably the best
restaurant in the city a few weeks
ago, according to Western standards
was owned and operated by Russians
The best orchestras were under then
control. Russian shopkeepers anC
clerks catered TO the wants of the Flu
ropean and American colonies, anC
the most sought-after music teachers
were Russians.
1.-The departing Russian refugee
leaves a city vastly changed from the
old Constantinople. Much local color
in the form of ragged, turbaned beg
gars, filthy streets and the disarraS
Of the Orient has disappeared. There
is more Western snap to the street
life than the old city has ever before
seen. New pavements have been laiC
and the traffic moves in an orderly
way, helped by wide-awake officers
who wave little white and red batons
ITO the traveller returning TO Con
stantinople after an absence of sew
eral years one of the most noticeable
changes is in the banishing Of street
signs in French, English, German ant
other European languages. Only signs
in Turkish are now permitted. Nc
single change has eliminated so much
color from the street scenes as the
passing of the feZ. This bright heaC
covering has been prescribed by law
and one sees now only the colorless
straw and felt hats and the caps OF
Europe.