THE TURKISH CRISIS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 117, 15 June 1909, Page 4

THE TURKISH CRISIS.

STIIUIIXU .SCENES IN CONSTAVi'I- " NOPLE. A I'Oi'L'LAK HERO, e NEWS BV THE MAIL. i, \ London, April .'ld. The cables have already told uie story of the dramatic events that marked the downfall of Abdul Humid. Some of y the episodes, however, merit fuller description than the limited scope of a cable message could render possiole. The r rise to fame of Major Enver Bey,, for t ilislancc, is one of the outstanding fea- (1 lures of ihc Turkish crisis, and few incidents in that crisis were so striking t as the scene which followed Enver Bey's £ entry into Constantinople. ' i Enver Bey is the hero of the Young Turks. The Daily Chronicle correspondent calls him "the Napoleon of Tur- I key" and "the idol of the Army of ta : I People." He is under thirty years of '■ age, and less than a year ago his name had never been heard of. He was one of the army ollieers who helped to win ' over the army to the cause of the Con- ' stitution. When his arrest was ordered by the Sultan he disappeared from view, but only to take up a new role. A ragged, bearded pedlar wandered about the provinces, getting into conversation with soldiers, and then quietly preaching to them tlie new gospel of "Liberty. i'le pedlar was Enver Bey, and lie "was one of many such. All over Turkey and Asia Minor revolutionary annv oineers, disguised as beggars, ba'zaar-sellers and workmen were permeating the soldiery with the seeds of revolution. When tli'» standard of revolt was raised Enver jK'y played a leading part in the wonderful bloodless revolution which placed the Union of Committee and Progress in power and gave Turkey a Constitution ; and a Parliament. Offered a high jioli- ■ lieu I position in the ww regime, lie ' modestly said that he required further • training, and he took the unimportant ! post of attache at Berlin. At the first ' signal of danger to the Constitution lie ■ hurried back to Turkey and took up a high command in the Constitutional ' Army. To him was entrusted the tiip- ■ tore of Constantinople, The scene when the troops marched, in

was a memorable one. The advance guard of the army of occupation,'headed by the youthful Fehta Hey, Enver's able lieutenant, took possession of the 'J'nxim Barracks, .Saionikan regulars, volunteer Bulgars, Macedonian ami Albanian irregulars, a brave but motley throng, some in sheepskin boots or sandals, others with no boots at all, reminding one of Napoleon's ragged conquering legions. The troops included men verging un seventy, and boys still in their teens. Sini'in" a rousing war song to the tune of "Partant Pour Syria," they swung forward. Then catching sight oi uieir hero hundreds of pllicers'aml men alike 'broke the ranks and embraced Enver Bev till lie was carried oil' his feet by the 'rush. Jm their enthuiasm they kissed him on both cheeks. One sunburnt Macedonian with deeply-fiirniH',.,l face and withgrey hair streaming widly noni his' snmmicrs. after embracing Enver Bey, knelt at his lu then' enthusiasm t'hey 'kissed lii m on ''Our liberator, our protector." j "Words cannot do justice to this moving scene," says the Chronicle correspondent. "It was the pent-up enthusiasm of the National Army of patriots finding expression. Tears came into everyone's eyes, Envcrs included. He liurriediy moved to hide his emotion and escape manifestations of the army, wliich was beside itself with delirium of gratitude and victory." NEW SULTAN INTEtn IEWED.

Another interesting episode was the audience given by the new Sultan to the first European he has received during his seclusion 'of ifiirty-tliree years. Mr. >i. 11. pouohpe, the Australian journalist representing the London' DaijV Chro lk'l'e, was tile interviewer, thereby aeliiev. iiig a very notable juuroalisuc "triumph. His friendship, witn the commander-in-chief of the army gained Mr. Donolloe an audience with the new Sultan, who has been a prisoner in the palace throughout Abdul Hamids long reign. 'As 1 stopped before tile enormously high wall of the half-palate, half-priso i, and noted the forbidding exterior," says I the correspondent, 'fl felt pr.verse to ■ venturing beyond the portals. It was full of'lragedy, and chilled with the pathos of an empty life; Here a man had grown from youth to age cut oil from the bustle of the world, from all the thought that has slowly cnanged the face of the earth. For oyer thirty years no European nail set loot within its sacred precincts; in its atmosphere there was the stilling of u tomb. 1 ; ' The new 'Sultan is described as somewhat bloated in appearance, but not unj)rejiossessi|ig. JJe' was dressed iri riurojiciui fa.s!|io». He wore an unusually livavy fluid,; c.oat, ljg]|t|y euUonc'il round the bulky form, ami jiu«v,v I'liimirh to serv p»t men H» an overcoat, jjis trousers were of modern cut, of a dink pluid material which was fasliionabl' fifteen years nuo. lie bears a remarkable likeness to Abdul Hamiil. Like ihe ex-Sultan, his lips are thick and slightly protruding, and he has that curve of the u'Ki' which is so prominent in the case of Abdul. On his head is worn a red fez. Although sixty-four, he wears his age well/ His hair is untinged with grey, but his nioiistnche shows signs of the ravages of time. I'u/'y little is known of the new Sultan of Turkey, af|d tlji's is liardly'surprising, for until' Tuesday just ilel|i ; mineil lieshad Kll'emli hail been practically a prisoner ii| his palace for «.«>:r thirty'years. I'rcwi'liie day »J'Abdul linniid's sin-ccs-sion to the revival of the Constitution be has been shut o|t' from all intercourse with any except a few servaiiU and lie pendants. The house in which be lived was surrounded by spies, and it was dangerous for any Turkish subject to be seen wjtliiu a' hundred yards of it. Whenever the unfortunate lieir-apparenl drove out, his carriage was followed by mounted men, who han orders to leport the name and demeanor of everyone the

carriage passed. The parts where lie was likelv to lie met were avoided almost as if plague-stricken. TVhcn liy ,';ii evil chance Ids carriage came in sight the liy-tniiders averted tlieir gaze. Xo me dai-cit W dilute liim. His servants wc»e tracked almost us jijteously. To exchange 1 a word with one of •iiicni was as a dangerous piece of temerity. Even to enter a shop at which they were known to have dealt was to lie denounced ),)) the charge of trying to establish treasonable iehltjoiis with Resliad, whom ttie Sultan, mindful of his owji conduct towards Murad, cohsluiiily suspected of conspiring against li'm. Everything re: quired for the unfortunate Ell'endi's household -mid to be obtained through the palaee. H is not many years ago %l a batch of military cadets wore scut into v.vili' (»( having given a light for his cigarette to" a, mau sittrjlg l|ear them in a tram ear who turned out to tw a member of Ri'shtul's suite, a .\ti'«A<;i<: to '.cms world.

"You are the llrst correspondent [ have ever received," he said. "Thank you for coming hvre to-day. The moment is so portentous to the entire Turkish nation. My enemies have slandered inc. They said t was a madman bordering on imbecility, and shut mo np for years. Jjut Allah has so willed it now in His merciful hoirnty that He has been pleas'eir'to'VaJ'l'.hie'lto fulfil my destiny and ru)e over Islam" 'flic new Sultan declared 'himself ay <;d ■vocatu i/l parliamentary institutions and il Ijnii sU|i|ii)V(Ofr ||f the policy of Young Turkey, and he giu<i this as his first message to Hie outside world!--Kay. tiicr - *i; t I have ever bera a convinced aii.l .ir.lent nupportcr of the cause of enlightenment, liberty, and progress. If it he the will of Allah that 1 should mount the Ottoiman throne 1 shall enter upon an important ollice fully realising its J.iijj; 1 * and responsibilities, fully co.iVcio'us,' a} ,l,i.K- Jiravy burden which will full on ihv shoulders. But, bv the help of Allah, the J\|»-t High. I shall follow unswervingly the path of duly, seeking to ad justly and honorably In all uieii. be they I giaours' or true believers. My voice la* fcecu silent for thirty-three years. . (nit Hie voicw ;;)' cpusi-jence has never been sllllea, ' AHOl'li lIAMID'S EXIT. The I roups who entered Vildiz Kiosk were accompanied bv two olfieers delegated bv the Coiuinaiidcr-in-ljhicf, two Senator., and two Deputies. The Sultan, was (hugged from t])c room

where he had taken refuge, and taken to the six personages. On seeing them he 'turued pale with fear, trembled, and cried in terror:

"Why do you want my life!" There was no*reply. Still trembling, Abdul Mamid .proceed

"I have reigned for thirty-three years, but 1 have done ill to nobody. Why do von want my life*"

No reply was vouchsafed. The Sultan continued: "1 .made war with Greece. Why do you want my life?" The six delegates remained silent. "... For thirty years I treated mv brother Mahniomfwcll. Any other Sultan 'would have killed him. So why do vou want my life Y"

"After a short pause, Abdul Hamid, trembling more than ever, whined piteoitsly: "Only let me live; I will do all you wish." There was no reply. Another pause, longer and more lugubrious than the other. The Sultan, pale as a spectre, sank on to a divan, Then he tottered to his feet and said: "Take me to the Palace of Charaga'.i, with my family. I was born there; there let me die." The Sultan is now a prisoner at Salonika. THE XEW IIEGLME.

A graphic account of the new Sultan's first drive through Constantinople is' given by the Daily Telegraph's correspondent:— 9 Precisely at half-past two a cannon booms and a tremendous cheer is raised. The enthusiasm breaks out suddenly, immense, impressive, formidable.

The ovation seems to till the town; it passes like the wind, dies away, swe'ls up again, creeps into the side streets, thunders over the throng which tills all the roads, and descends from the terlaees and the cupolas. It is felt tint the moment is a solemn one in the life of the superb city. The soldiers also applaud, placing their rifles under their armpits and smiling happily. It is their work 'which is being culminated in this moment. The faces of the crowd, .hitherto anxious, questioning, preoccupied, open into an infections' smile. The faces at the windows also smile; it is the detente. All is finished now, and the period of fear is ended. The I day of 'battle aeeips so far oil'! The sky also seems' to r eflect the joy of the people, and its serene splendor gives the walls, the towers, and minarets a fresh-nes-K as of new things. In a moment the town is clothed in flags. In the dis'lancc there is a tumult of voices, which grow louder as they approach. It is the cortege of Mohaniniul V. A company of Salonika gendarmes on horseback trots at the head, with drawn swords, watching the crowd with searching eyes. The acclamations become a vnst sea of voices. A NATION'S (IREETINC. A squadron of cavalry passed. Then, in the mids't of an escort of infantry with fixed bayonets like a prisoner, the new Sultan passes in a closed carriage. He is extremely ipal'e, stout, \vitli white moustache, and a stupefied face. His tired, swollen eyes seem to lack all expression. He looks like a man who lias' just been aroused from sleep. He has never seen his people, and his people have never seen him. This Prince . who to-day mounts the Throne of the Otlimnns has always lived shut up fa his' great palace on the shores of the . j Bosphorus. The cry resounds: "Pad- .: ishakim tshok Yasha."

Behind the Sultan, in a carriage, the Sheikul-Islam, in his turban .as white n* his beard, claps his hands. Musses' of soldiers follow, filling t'he road with bayonets and lances, marching to tlis clamor of bands under .waving Hags. From every fortress the artillery send their thundering salutes, which make the walls tremble. The ships in the Oolden Horn hoist their flags, the lle.'t in the Bosphorus repeats the salutes. Rifles tired in token of joy crackle in the barracks.

Thus carried tp the throno hy a tumult Qf arms, an old. wondcrstruck man begins' his reign.