MOHAMMED, SULTAN OF TURKEY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3145, 27 November 1922, Page 8

MOHAMMED, SULTAN OF TURKEY.

(My W. E. de 11. Wlu'Uaker.) His Majesty Sultan Mohammed VI.. Emperor of the Ottomans, Caliph of the Moslems, and thirty-seventh Sovereign of the Houng of ()sman. is one of a race of monarchs in, which dethronement has passed from accident into habit. His eldest In-other, Murad V.. was deposed in August, 1876. after a brief but stormy ride of three months. The next brother. Ahdul Hamid 11.. brilliant in intrigue, held the throne until, in 1009.. the newer spirit in Turkey, eombined with pressure from outside, decided that tortuous polieios and a juggling diplomacy might be suppressed for a spuce. and he was sent to end his days peacefully in one of (be imperial palaces. During bis reign ho collected more international epithets of obloquy I ban are usually the fortune of even the most Skilfully evil of monarchs. The Sultan succeeded his brother Mohammed V. (the nominee of the Voting Turk Party) in 19IS. He was born on February 2, 1861, and during the reign of Abdul Hamid he was imprisoned in a palace on the Mosphorus. secure from intervention in tins world's affairs. This long period of seclusion he used in the accumulation of knowledge. lie 'Hid not regain bis freedom until the accession of Mohammed V. Then for the first lime be was able to leave Ibe count r\ if lm so desired. In li)N he i tsited the Emperor I'Vancis Joseph, at Sienna, and during Ibe war be was the guesj of the Gorman Kaiser. And that is Ibe sum total of his personal experience "I Western Europe. Studious in appearance, he lacks the downlines* of bis predecessor.-. Pomp has no appeal to him. and lie observes the simple forms of life common in the I'nrkish Court for over three generations. Mis nest pronounced dislike is for .he Voting Turk Party, on which he daces the blame for ibe evils which ia\e beset Turkey in the last decade. Me is believed to have a warm regard: 'or England, and to have desired a •lose alliance with thai country, since I'tirkish and English interests have so nuch in common, : Though outwa'dly calm. lie is the lave of a constitutional nervousness vhieh denies him the power o!' taking leoisivo act,ion. ()n occasions when he vas asked to make an important deei- ! ion which he felt might give rise to } onti'ovei'sy lie retired to the harem, .here be was secure from all intrusion. 1 In consequence it is not unnatural hat many i'\' those who know him beievo that be rules only in name, and ' as no influence over the varied policies Inch arc- presumed lo have bis ap- ' roval. Other-, not less observant sus- * eel Ins apparent indecision merely to ; o a veil behind which lie exercises I onsiderahle powo' 1 . In their view he v as revived the intrigue ami the disinnlaiioii of Abdul Hamid. t lie is undoubtedly clever, and his I ending has been extensive. Therein v es his greatest fault. Circumstances avo denied him personal knowledge s I' mankind in Ihe mass, and he is apt >S ) deal with affairs of Stave as though li icy wore merely mental abstractions. 'i c has only an academic key to the w olives of men. In consequence lie has <•■ died to impress himself either on his iiinti", or on Ihe greater world out- t. de. ' U Whatever may be the secret hidden n sliind his olusivencss lie cannot go n >\\ n lo hi'storx in-, a .".real or even a 11 ipalile ruler. [j

( '•\Vlu| struck Mil mhisl in motoring " inn Wellington In Auckland was to |H id. sandwiched lictwocli two had scct>i if-. .1 stretch el several miles of el londid road, between Ngatoa and v^ aitakaruru," said Mr .1. W. (..'. be •ixlie .I.l' Wellington, w liu has recent- ( 1 covered several hundred mile- of ai >rth Island road« (reports (lie Anek- to id Herald). 01 (his particular see- s|) in ol road, .Mr Ifrodio said, ii would is sily carry a speed up lo 00 miles an be ill'. The material used was red scoria. sh tained from some neighboring island tiro llatiraki Gulf. The highway at is point was like a red ribbon ar rough the green countryside. Appar- eo tly the so-called scoria— it was a of iiiy or powdery substance- was put bu in a thiek laver and gave cvellonl Ml ,11 Its. <-' al