A NEW ERA FOR TURKEY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 494, 29 April 1909, Page 4

A NEW ERA FOR TURKEY.

With the deposition of , the subtle tyrant who for moro than thirty years has throttled the liberties and energies of Turkey, for his own advantage, it is to be hoped that a new era is opening for that, unhappy country. The Turkish liberators, ohampions of freedom of whom we know too little, have reversed the plot which caused their temporary overthrow, ancl aro again masters, of the political situation. The hand of Abdul HAMiDin the recent revolution" has been clearly exposed, and the reforroors recognise that liberty and justice can never be secure while he is on the throne. The Sultan is to bo deposed, and it has been definitely decided that his brother, Reshad Effendi, shall succeed him. , Reshad Effendi is the legitimate heir,: and though, of necessity,/ not much, is known about his character, seeing that he has-been most of his life a prisoner, he is generally assumed to be at least amiable and harmless. His supposed.; sympathy for the Constitution caused him to-become, lopg since, tlm favourite of yhe Yo.ung Turks and the victim of Abdul'Hamid's tyranny. The circumstances of the Sultan's final downf air show how precarious and unreliable is the following which tyrants command, It -is reported that when his entourage : realised that the situation was serious, the Palace Guards dispersed arid tho Court fled,'leaving him alone in his apartments in the' harem. The confiscation of his ill-got fortuno to restore the national finances which he ruined is an aet of poetic justioe which must be as heavy a blow to Abdul Hamid as tho final disappointment that his favourite son, a pillar of Mohammedanism, will not succeed him. This son is suspected of being a pnme instigator of the recent plot, and another chief promoter is said to be one of that class of eunuchs who, since the dawn of history, have beeri the secret agents of revolution , in the "East. Important aspects now to be considered are the capaoity of the Young Turks for maintaining Constitutional rule and' order, over a much-divided and halfbarbarous Empire, and the effect which the new order is likely to produce upon the European situation. The development of an Ottoman inspiratiqn, tran- ! scending the existing nationalisms, and a religious toleration utterly at variance with the Mohammedan spirit, are features of the Young Turk policy which they, can hardly expect will meet : with general'appreciation.all at once. At the same time the reign of terror and of darkness, imposed by Abdul HXiiin has oppressed his subjects so long that they can hardly fail to realise the.advantages of a more enlightened Government, es-; peciaHy when they know that it has force behind it, The Young Turks have conducted themselves with so much moderation and wisdom, and controlled their soldiery with such effect, on the occasion of their previous coup and during the recent disturbances, that they are not likely to alienate support by' any rash abuse of 'their latest triumph. During the few months of their previous authority, the prosperity of the country, .as well as its tranquillity, notably impreased, and thousands of pmigrants-who had fled to America retiirncd to. develop tfjp industries, pf their .country.','-. :Thc ability and'surprising modesty of. the' Young Turk leaders are qualities which specially impressed Me. Nqel. Buxton, chairman of'the Balkan .Committee, who recorded his impressions recently in the Nineteenth Gentury magazine. Though some of them had suffered torture, and many exile, in the cause of liberty, they could not be induced to speak of their experiences or exploits, and seemod to avoid popularity. "The public craves for hero-worship," he wrote, "and a brisk trade is done in medals bearing the porr trait of. Enver Bey. But Enveii him, self,came to Constantinople incognito to avoid an ovation. At the theatre, when we.visited together, his presence was detected and interminable cheers wero raised; a speech was begged for, but tho Garibaldi of to-day, obviously wishing himself elsowhere, withdrew towards the back of the box,", Heroes of this type should be able to exercise their authority with discretion. , From the international viewpoint, the success of tho counter-revolution and the deposition of tho Sultan must.'. bo regarded as a serious check to the designs and influence of Germany, and as strengthening the ties of friendship between Turkey and Great Britain. For the last twenty years the preponderating European ' influence at Constantinople has been that of. Germany, 'whose professed feelings of friendship towards Abdul Hamid have enabled her to gain railway and other concessions which have been thß onvy pf tho othor Powers. The

influonco which Great Britain ■had iW.ith; tlio. Turkish Government ■ was .lost for-the contrary reason tliat'slio per-, ;'.mitted .herself ..to ..remonstrate.-; >\vith'-the Sultan for.his retrograde.andiarbitrary ■ policy."''But-Britain has 'always/bccn ac--coiintcd. ; the friend of "the Young, Turkoy party, and .thbir ardent 'sympathiser in the. movorrient for, reform, and with the ■confirmation;,; ofcthob.; power, /.and tho downfall of the Sultan, there is littlo English' influence\in. Constantinople! will supersede that of Gerrnany. .The development .of British trade in ono of ..'the-most"; fertile countries of the world ■should follow, from; the new' relationship. France also has .been regarded as strongly sympathetic to: the. Young Turkey move'merit,, which, had somo features of resemblance to her own revolution of the eighteenth century, and it is probable that a result of the new Government in Turlcoy will be to draw closer the relationship of Britain, France, and Russia, leaving Germany somewhat in the cold. .