Untitled

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 144, 12 November 1914, Page 7

scan, would have been a novelty among Governmental Finally it was decided to confer the Sword of Othman (Turkish Sultans nre not crowned) on the brother of Abdul Ilamid. This was in accordance with the inheritance'law usual in Eastern countries, by which the brother, if there is one, takes precedence as next of kin over the sons. Militant suffragists might consider Turkey as a field of operations, as daughters do not count in these matters. The new Sultan had been kept prisoner for thirty year* in the Dolma Batchc Palace on the shores of the Bosphorus. He was allowed no communication with the outside world, not even a newspaper being permitted him. A score or so of eunuchs, who were frequently changed, guarded him day and night, never for a moment leaving him alone. Hardly the sort of apprenticeship to produce ,1 strong man, capable of governing a country sucli as : Turkey. A democratic constitution was adopted, wholly unsuiteil to the needs of a people unaccustomed to govern themselves. The whole parliamentary box of tricks was set up, bonfires were lighted, cannon were fire' l ., speeches were made, and Turkey launched on thp new era of liberty,'equality, fraternity. It would be absurd to say the people as a whole Tiad part or lot in these things. They, the people, Bimply looked on with amazement, more or less convinced that it was the will of Allah. The Turk must surely have learnt by this time that be- ' twocn promise and performance there is sometimes a great gulf fixed. The, new rf gimc has accomplished practically no thing expected of it. During its short existence, Turkey has suffered further' dismemberment and greater humiliation I than ever before. The Constitution has I proved unworkable, taxes have enormously increased, and, worse than all, the 1 future holds no promise of better things. The corrupt and inefficient autocracy of Abdul Ilamid has bec-i supplanted by a possibly equally inefficient, bureaucracy. The; country has not made a single friend in Europe, the so-called friendship ' of Germany being more of a curse than a blessing. .All that is wanted to com--1 plete the mournful picture is a dcclara-