DIARIES OF THE GREAT DESPOT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 276, 18 May 1912, Page 1 (Supplement)

DIARIES OF THE GREAT DESPOT

ABDUL'S COURT SECRETS TO RE PUBLISHED. It has been decided to publish the socalled "lVjournals" of the ex-Sultan Abdul llamid. These are the .most authenticated records of his terrible thirl, thre years' reign, and will throw valuable light on the social conditions and Court life, during the reign of "The R<;d Assassin" (says a Constantinople correspondent). 1 They include historical memoranda, diaries, letters of denunciation, transactions of -the slave market, sanctions t>£ executions and tortures, notes, bills, ajccounts and statements of iniinmeraljjle spies, feverish scribblings of falsehood and treachery, Machiavellian records ai|d registers, and testimonies of unheard-pf ■Oppression and cruelty. These will gij- e a lurid insight into the fierce, gloomy and melancholy moods and haunting fears of the Nero of the Eastern Rome, and will reveal iniquity and wickedness rarely paralleled in the world's history A SEARCH FOR THE JOURNALS. Soon after the deposition of the Rjed Sultan those, at the head of the constir tutional regime made every possible effort to get hold of all his journals. Search was made for them in all tW vast quarters of Vildiz Kiosk, in the subterranean passages and caves, the. secret recesses of the "Semalik" (part of a Moslem house assigned for men), and even in the sacred domain of the Imperial harem, with 3000 beauties. The search was in vain. Abdul had to disclose the whereabouts of the documents himself. He kept them in a hidden chamber close to his bedroom. The access to it was known only to him. It was shut and. opened by an ingenious electrical contrivance, the workings of which none could ever discover. HE NEVER WROTE A LINE. "When this hidden chamber was Entered there were found in it piles of boxes of various sizes filled with journals. Over 500 such boxes were brought to light. Abdul never destroyed any letter sent to him, how ever insignificant or how ever unimportant the sender. 1 The strange thing is that among the countless journals of Abdul llamid not a single line, is found written by himself, lie never wrote anything. He had an unaccountable aversion to the art of writing, although he urged others, under the penalty of death, to write to him as often and as completely as possible to keep him informed of all that was going on ,in the capital and in the Empire. Even his name he never signed. His Imperial signet served as death sentence or order of promotion for a despicable courtier or slave. ABDUL'S LOVE OF READING. But although the ex-Sultan never wrote a line, he was exceedingly fond of reading. This fondness, during'the latter years of his reign, became a passion. He read day and night, and never went to bed without a book. His library, was characteristic of his disposition and character. It consisted of books of a most trivial nature. Novels with a murderous ending were his predilection. He disliked, however, narratives of an immoral or obscene trend. Stories with bloody incidents of cruelty and crime were his delight. The reading of his journals a/l'orded him the utmost pleasure. He spent hundreds of thousands of pounds every year for the indefatigable services of his intricate, yet always well-managed jand well-directed espionage system. > Although he almost never left the precjncts of Yildiz Kiosk, for fear of assassination, he knew what was going on outfcide. He knew every official, every diplomatist, every scribe, however low in his social or political standing. Being extremely auspicious, he was in the habit of gauging public opinion. This mood of anticipating, coupled with great inquisitiveness and curosity, made Abdul Hamid himself a formidable spy. His servile emissaries knew it, and never dared to equivocate or to quibble in his presence. , PROMOTION FOR. DENUNCIATION. Among the countless journals the, majority are letters of denunciation. A'xlul Hamid expected every one of his servants to be first a spy and then a denunciator. A jealous official eager to replace a superior, an inferior of the Imperial haiiem determined to be raised to the digriity of a Sultana, had only to scribble down a few lines denunciating somebody, no matter whom and no matter how high and distinguished, and their object Was attained. Abdul had a special secretary, who had nothing to do but to receive such scribblings and to band thbnv over to his master. Abdul never fenquired. into the veracity of the accusation. A written statement from whatever source was sufficient for the accused to be condemned, and in many cases executed. ' ! SPIES AND THE ARCH SPY, j Abdul's system of espionage had many formidable branches, reaching into the lowest levels of the populace, and mounting up into the highest circles of society. He. paid his spies liberally. He readily distributed little bags full of gold pieces for every little information against anybody whom he had begun to dislike. Mis Imperial favors and bounties knew no limits when news of a plot or conspiracy was brought to him. Many a despicable wight became the proud governor of a whole province for a mere calumny. Fathers spied on their sons, sons plotted against their parents, wives slandered their husbands, servants swore falsely against their masters, and each and. all were getting royal reward from the arch-spv. Abdul. The publication of the journals will reveal many a '1 range feat concerning a number of highly-placed officials and diplomatists of the constitutional regime. Pashas. Ministers, Grand Viziers are implicated in the matter. CRAM) VIXI ER IMPLICATED. Tt begins in be evident that several deputies who are at present eloquently propounding ihe ideas of liberty and brotherhood were nothing but "djournaldjis"' i-pies : uid denunciators) during Abdul's 'Way. and that even the former Grain! Vizier llakki Pasha is not free from reproach. A journal has been found which had been addressed to the ex-Sultan by the present Grand Vizie? Said Pasha, in which this latter speaks in derogatorv term- of the Ottoman Constitution. "This should never have been granted!" was the definite opinion of the worthy old man. Such facts are eagerly taken up by the Opposition a< proofs of the present Government; being desirous to overthrow the dearly-bought, Liberal regime. Interminable di-i-u-'ions follow in the Parliament. Accusation and defence are both weak ami futile and in many ways absolutely purposeless. There are some, among others, also the War Minister Mahmoud Shefket Pasha, who propose that Abdul's journals should be reduced to ashes. This counsel, however, is not likely to prevail, and the precious ilocit ments will go to print."