The Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 1913. TURKISH MISRULE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14017, 25 June 1913, Page 4

The Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 1913. TURKISH MISRULE.

Recent plots and assassinations in Turkey afford a convincing illustration of the absolute unfitiicss of that country for a regime of government by party. Apparently the “Young Turk” is nearly as bad aa the Old Turk, and the Committee of Union and Progress is just as tyrannical, vindictive, cruel, and unscrupulous as the tyrannous Abdul Hamid was. When a couple of years ago the civilised world read with astonishment that the Committee, within a week of being forcibly expelled from power by the old reactionaries, had captured Constantinople and had declared that Hamid by his misdeeds had forfeited the right to maintain the position of Khalif, it was predicted that Turkey was about to enter upon a new era. Promises were made by tho Committee that a serious effort would be made under tho new Constitution to enable Turkey to regain something ,of th.o power •which a few centuries ago was tho-terror of the nations, Results- have proved, however, that .four and; a half 'centuries of cruel misrule cannot be put to an end in a few years. It has been..demonstrated that the Thrk docs not befcomc an' enlightened reformer by calling himself a Ybung Turk.- True, .the .Committee of Union and Progress removed tho tyranny of Abdul Hamid, but they have enslaved Turkey with a tyranny as bad ’ as that of the autocrat, they compelled to. abdicate. They did not set out to liberate Turkey, but to enslave it. They sought to impose the Ottoman tradition and language upon peoples who rejected both, and who simply asked for freedom- to live their own lives in security and peace. Their rule did not bring justice to Macedonia or Albania. It brought injustice—bloodshed, extortion, wrong of every sort, as lit the days of Abdul. Indeed, tho Macedonia leaders, who had sutpended their reform organisation on tho strength of Y'oung Turk promises since tho deposition of Abdul Hamid in 1909, declared’ that “compared with the last four years of tho Hamidian epoch, when European control existed and tho country enjoyed a certain financial autonomy, the condition 6i tho people is infinitely worse and their sufferings have increased.” In tho circumstances then it is not surprising that tho rule of the Committee of Union and Progress retarded progress and brought about disunion. It brought tho war with tho Balkan States, and left Turkey but a vestige of her former glory. But the end is not yet. There have been many Ministerial changes during the last year or two, and tragic occurrences have been frequent. There have been many massacres of Christians, and reprisals, and assassinations of prominent officials have followed one upon another with sickening persistency. During last year half a dozen different Grand Viziers held office, and it fell to the lot of Kiamil Pasha, the aged leader of the Liberals, to administer the country during the disastrous stages of the war with the Balkan States. Not only had ho to fight enemies without, but a foe within, for throughout last year he carried on a fierce political war with tho Young Turks, who objected to the Liberals being placed in office by the Sultan, the latter being compelled to die place the Young Turks owing to tile disorders and discontent in tho country. When the fortune of war went against Turkey the Young Turks, who were out of office, of course put all the blame on Kiamil and his commander-in-chief, Nazim Pasha. Accordingly Kiamil was forced at tho point of a revolver to surrender his portfolio, and Nazim was shot dead by emissaries of the Young Turks, who thereupon installed Shevkct Pasha as Grand Vizier and Minister for War. Sbcvket, a brilliant soldier and a patriot rather than a* politician, was at once marked for death by the defeated political party, represented by Kiamil, and Nazim Pasha. Threats were openly made that he would be assassinated as soon as the war was over, and the threats were fulfilled a couple of w'eeks ago. Now the Young Turk Committee have arrested over 150 persons in connection with'-the-crime, many of them being, as might bo expected, prominent members of the rival, ,;-According to to-day’s cables .a dozen of these have, already been hanged, while others who have fled the country have been condemned to death. Amongst the latter are Reicid Bey (former Minister of Alines), who is in Paris, and Prince Saba-Neddin and Nazim Pasha (late Minister for War), who are believed to be refuging on a foreign cruiser lying in Constantinople roadstead. Meanwhile tlif spineless Sultan, Mahomed, who is ostensibly the sovereign, placed above party warfare, keeps quiet and say’s nothing. .Having already narrowly escaped with , t his head once—on the occasion of the devolution—■ he is endeavouring to keep, it on his

shoulders as long as -poaiiblo by/a policy of masterly inactivity.- The. situation in Constautiuoplo,: is a painful example of what .may happen to a nation that adopts political institutions which are altogether too-advanced; for it.