Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-12
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

the World War, great light came to
Enver Pasha, the Turkish minister Of
war, who discovered that the allies
were able to make better use of their
simpler written language than were the
Moslems with their complications and
intricacieS. He was then the Original
tor of the idea of Turkeys adopting the
Latin alphabet, and applying it pho
netically to the Turkish language. He
became later leader of the Young
Turks. the opponents of the sultanic
dynasty and system of government, but
his ideas were too advanced for the
Sultan. and nothing was accomplished
so long as the Sultan remained in
power.
Under the new republic, controlled
by the Young Turks, manv of the old
conservative Moslem institutions ard
customs have been completely over
turned. Mustafa Renal Pasha. the
President and dictator. is a leading
Young Turk, and he has been in power
five years The act of deposing the
Sultan and the Caliph-the latter the
Pope" of all Islam-cut the republic
loose from ancient ties. and so it was
not long step for Renal Pasha to
accept the views Of his fellow Young
Turk. Enver Pasha, that what Turkey
needed was 10 get into line with the
Occident. whose nations had proved
their superiority in so many ways.
Hence, the decree abolishing the baggy
trousers and the fez of the men. and
making wells for women optional.
These reforms led to armed revolts
in some of the most backward provinces,
but order was quickly restored by mill
far nd 1n of
taliZing the Orient has spread to Persia
and Afghanistan
y X X
One phase of the reform should not
be overlooked; it is that while Renal
proposes the adoption Of the European
alphabet and dress. he does not well
come Europeans, nor other foreigners,
into the industrial life of his country.
On the contrary, the movement is one
of jealousy against all foreigners. and
of the ascendancy of the spirit of
Turkey for the Turks" He declares
forfeited all extraordinarily courts
for foreigners. and none but native
Turks are given official position in the
government.
The watch-cry is Efficient Turks for
urkey!"-llnveiled women; unfezzed
men. smart uniforms for the army: road
development throughout the country and
modern WaterworkS and sanitation for
the new capital, Angora; complete
establishment (recently) of Islam as
the official religion of Turkey, placing
it on the same level as other "creedS."
No longer must the devout Moslem re-
move his shoes when he goes into a
mosque TO pray. But no longer may
Christian missionaries teach religion in
their mission schools
In commerce the middleman has been
a Greek. Armenian or Jew. All such
middlemen are now wiped out. and
closer relations are to be maintained be-
tween the producers and consumers. at
least by decree, although the Turk has
no instincts nor training for commerce.
X X X
The status of women advanced more
rapidly than that of men during the
World War. The men were gone to
war. so the work in Offices as we'll as
in the fields, had to be taken up by
the women. The result is that the
women have not only demonstrated
their capacity TO the men. but have
proved it to themselves. with a conse-
quent rise in self-respect
In nothing is this feminine independ-
ence more strongly shown than in the
GENERAL ueIIailCS Oh eOlClS regarding Ifle
abandonment of their headgear Wh"n
it was ordered that no woman should
wear the old "charshaf" headgear upon
the public streets, hundreds were ar
rested for violation of the edict. But
the women then devised a new "bon-
net" which was a novel combination
made of dark silk to Swathe their heads
like a ''toque." The coquettish ones had
no compunctions about discarding the
veil Also, the women have gained the
right, under Mustafa Kemars admins
tration, to bind their future husbands,
before they marry them, by contract
anything the women want as
a condition precedent to marriage. even
including the right Of divorce In case
the man takes on a second wife. and
the man to abandon the wife
without divorce and financial settle
ment.
In order to encourage more social
mixing of the sexes, as in the Occident,
Kemal has ordered his chief officials to
organize dances. Subordinate officials
were obliged to attend the dances of
their superiors. taking their ladies, and
when lady was asked by a superior
official to dance she could not refuse.
Thus the mothers we're forced to dance,
setting q contagious example to their
daughters. who. however reluctant to
become wild" were obligated to go as
FAR as their mothers. Turkey is progress.
ing indeed.
Copyright. 1879. By Paul v. collins.>