TURKISH UNREST.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 46, 18 November 1907, Page 11

TURKISH UNREST.

GROWING vBXASPERATION. • •'■' A summary of<.certain-.recent ovonts, none of which was without" its own particular significance, indicates '-'that the rising tide of discontent' in tEe Turkish' Empire is rapidly, approaching the danger point. At Bitlis, not long.ago,--tho:Mussulman oitizons expelled their vali by main force, and subjected him to somewhat rough troatmont in the process, Meanwhile they''assured-the Sultan of their loyalty, while. refusing to tolerate tho obnoxious Forid. Last year risings of tho samo lpnd ■ took place: at'JSrzorum and -Kastamuni, the population demanding not only the romoX'al of their valis, but tho abolition of certain oppressive taxes. . At Beyrput. a body of 2000 soldwvs, sent homo from Yemen without their pay, forced:'the. captain: of the-transport to take them-into the port, landed in detachments, and, "seizing the vali, the treasurer, and the military ..'commandant,, hold them as hostages until their pay, amounting to nearly £200',C00,' had been handed over to them. They then -returned to their ship, and, on being landed at another, port, quietly dispersed and node their, way home, A few weeks ago a regiment at- TJskub,' which had been kept with-the-colours for rdoubla the legal period; of insisted 6n-;boing'_ allowed to gohome." .Tlie'hien.ab'andpried their.duties and seized the. post offico,'iyh' held for. three. days',. until order's; were recoived from .the palace to give them their'arrears of pay. and their .discharges. _ List winter two such incidents occurred in ''.Constantinople, one among Mo sailors, who hold their meeting of protest "within, a stone's'throw of the Pora Palace Hotel, and one among the artillery, whose barracks are close to the German embassy... Even more serious-,are are frequent' outbreaks in,, the Yemen army. At Hodoida'tfiejnenfseem 1 to Win'a chronic state,of 'mutiny, "and at Sana the telegraph office was Seized' by discontented -.officers, who used n tojwire their complaints to the palace'. ATHREATENINGSITTJMION. Puulished letters from European correspondents in different' parts;of' Turkey indicate that such incidents as these are not the only signs of im'pohding trouble. One observer, writing to, a, London journal, says: "Europeans whoso : occupation'brings,"them into touch ..with Tufks/respecially those who speak the laiiguagb'well enough" to get on confidential terms with them, and who are in the habit of making business trips into the interior, testify to the existence throughout tho country of a rapidly growing feeling of exasperation. r "One exceptionally, cool-headed business 'man*-who "re'cantly visited ~ places and friends in' Asia Minor after an:interval of three or four years, was so impressed by what he ; saw and heard that he .regards a violent, explosion of discontent as certain to occur in the near future if a sorious attempt is'not made to'remedy tho most crying abuses of the Administration, i The change of sentiment which had taken place since his last visit he 'describes as almost incredible, a change not so much from content to discontent as from "patient acquiesence in misgoverimient ax: a.necessary ovil;to a feeling of active, even threatening,, resentment. For discontent in-Turkey is,not a,.plant of very recent growth.' .Three years ago, when affairs in Russia began to go seriously-wrong, an old resident in Constantinople who exceptional opportunities for seeing luntlerneath the BUrface, remarked: 'Some of our good friends at Yildiz are probably rubbing their hands at this. But sooner or later the same thing is bound to occur here.;. It is inevitable in a country whore .life is made: intolerable for everybody, < perhaps even more than tho Christian, except, of courso, for the. few. people in high places who_ are amassing immense fortunes by the prevailing corruption.'! .He, added..as-;>n afterthought, 'And, when it .comes, I shalltake first train or boat I can cateh to getj away, for when the Turks begin to. take vengeanco on their oppressors „they are not likely to be very gentle in,tjieir methods, .or.very discriminating . : S:theirchoice,.of victims.',"., ■ , ~.'