THE TURKISH ANOMALY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 13 January 1915, Page 8

THE TURKISH ANOMALY

THE " OTTOMAN EMPIRE

The Ottoman Emp;re is an anomaly, Says a correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph," -who has had special opportunities for studying Turkey and her tendencies. Its existence as a State has, f<n* the last hundred years or mere, been abnormal.- Its status as a nation is a sham. It- has owed its continuation of its -being to external fort es—States fearing a dislocation in their relations to each ether through its d : sintegration, Turkey may have served its purpose to support European equilibrium when such equilibrium was desirable for the maintenance of peace amongst the nations. But onpe this iequilibrium has been deranged through the present international conflict, and the distribution of power which,-until a few weeks ago, seemed * firmly and carefully established, has been upset, the raison'd'etre of the Ottoman Empire ceases. .There never has been an Ottoman nation. Peoples of different races, creeds, and habits have been through they differences and lack of unity, to snbmit to a master oppressor, the Turk, who, knowing their weakness and working on their spirit of discord, has thereby maintained his ascendancy. The trump-card cf the Turkish Empire the religious quality invested in its head of the-Slate. Eliminate the Khali fate, and not all the Powers of Europe could have held together the widely different elements of which the Ottoman Empire is composed. When one remembers that this, quality has been usurped by the Turks from its lawful holders, the Arab tribe* of Koreish. it becomes obvious on how weak a foundation this whole religious fabric is built, and how easy it should -be to reorganise this state of things. A real and honest- struggle for Islam may- have had support from all adherents to that, faith. But -when Islam is made a. pawn to be used in favour of the Germanic struggle and against Germany's enemies, the question of whether the 'Turks can depend on the support of t.heir co-religionists becomes very doubtfat- .1. The Turks, the descendants of the original-conquerors, holding all the important posts in the army and State, in Turkey are not more than 6.000,000 or 7,000,000. All the rest of the inhabitants, "whether Moslems, Christians/ Jews or otherwise, are Rayas or dependants. The Modem element keeps its allegiance to Turkish rule because of the religious factor, and for no other reason. Of the 22,000,000 inhabitants of the Ottoman Empire over 5,000,000 pre Christians and other than Moslems. The Christians are either Catholics and •Maronites, Greek Orthodox, or Protestants. and all their sympathies are for one or the other of .the Allies. The Catholics and Maronites are heart and soul for -France. The Greek Orthodox are for Russia, and the Protestants for "England. Besides, there are the Druses, j 20,000 to 30,000, hardv warriors all, who wduld fight to' the death for England aga'inst the Turk, their hereditary, enemy. Emir Omar Fezavri, grandson to the famous Emir' Abd-el-Kader. the Algerian; is living, with some 20,000 of his misn, in the province of -Damascus.. He| and his; men -would certainly strike for France.- The, Lebanon would rise as. one for the Allies —all its men hardy and strong, -and' .for-, .the, most part armed. All- these .different elements ; and more are ready- to act and strike agaipst. the Common foe.