Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-01-06

"4ssassins, spurrpd on by the shouts
and fighting at the palace gates, found
.ScIim first and stabbed him to DEATH"
already-Greeks, Armenians, Caucasians. But
they we're mostly untutored slaves This girl
could read and write. In fact. she was by far
the most intelligent wife he had ever had.
Aimee Immediately became the Sutan's favorite,
and in due time bore him blond son.
She had long since given up all hope Of
escape No woman of the seraglio ever had
before. So since she was doomed to reside
the rest of her life in vast and magnificent
place." she decided, "She would have command"
Was that not what the fortune teller had FORE
told?
Meanwhile, cousin Josephine having q
few adventures Of her own. She had married
Vicomte de Beauharnais and borne him two
children. But during the French Revolution
her husband lost his head under the guotine.
Not long after she married again-this time to
wild young genius from Corsica named
Napolean Bonaparte, six years her junior.
Life became very exciting for Mime. Bona
parte. Her husband was winning one military
victory after another for France and as his wife
she was receiving honor equally with him.
DUT Aimee, a queen in Constantinople, was
- even more occupied. There the question Of
royal succession had arisen She and her son
Mahmoud who was the third in line, be-
coming involved in the deadly intrigues that
seemed to be the natural order of things in
Turkish seraglios The first and second princes
we're sworn enemies and their respective moth
ers even more hostile. Each mother tried to
poison her rivals child, to undermine each the
position of the other by fair means or foul.
Aimee had the best wits of the three. Conse-
quently she managed to keep her son away
from the poison cups being handed around
Selim the rightfu1 heir, succeeded to the
throne on the death of the Sultan. But the
mother of Mustapha, the next in line never
wavered from her ambitious designs. And SO
persistent was she that she actually succeeded
in having Selim dethroned and Mustapha
crowned. But this high-handed business in
furiated certain faction of Turks. They
stormed the palace, meaning to murder
Mustapha and replace Selm.
The palace gates were hurriedly closed. AS
the rebels pounded upon them MuStapha's
mother rushed assassins to Stay both Selm end
Aimee's son Mahmoud. That would settle the
question of succession! The assassins, spurred
on by the shouts and fighting at the gates,
found Selim first and stabbed him to death.
But the defense he put up gave Mahmoud time
to escape up the chimney and onto the roof.
And before the murderers could reach him,
the palace gates crashed DOWN ana a MOD Oh
Mahmoud's friends ran in to save him.
Mustapha in turn executed and NAH
moud and Aimee ruled the Turkish Empire
from the Indian Ocean to the Adriatic Sea.
At last, in her vast and magnificent place,
"she had command
Mahmoud from childhood had more than
loved his mother. His regard had amounted
to worship. She had been his wise and devoted
counselor throughout all the dangerous days
of his youth. Now that he was Sultan she be-
came his entire ministry.
Consequently, because Aimee, the real head
of the government, was thoroughly French. and
because her beloved cousin Josephine had be-
come the empress of Napoleon's empire, NAH
moud threw all his political weight toward
France in that countrys wars against the rest
of Europe. French officers came to train his
army, French seamen helped man his warships,
French guns drove off the British fleet from
Constantinople. French fashions, French lam
guage, French schools. took possession of the
Turks. Napoleon himself could not UNDER
stand why "Mahmoud" such an extraordi-
narily devoted ally. England was completely
baff1ed. Even the Turks thought it strange.
Everybody had forgotten that Mahmouds
mother, the yelled Empress, who sat quietly and
Continued on Ninth PG0c.