AFFAIRS IN CONSTANTINOPLE

New Zealand Tablet, 4 November 1915, Page 26

AFFAIRS IN CONSTANTINOPLE

CLOSING OF CATHOLIC INSTITUTIONS* Father Bruno, Superior of the Capuchins of St. Louis in Pera, has given in a French periodical an interesting account of the state of affairs in Constantinople during the first months of the war and of the fate which overtook the various colleges and religious houses. The narrative (says the Catholic Times) throws a good deal of light on the manoeuvres of the Germans, whose principal aim was to eliminate French influence in the Turkish capital, as well as on the general attitude of the native population towards the war.

It was at the end of July, 1914, when Father Bruno was preaching the annual retreat to the Sisters in Bulgaria; the atmosphere seemed sultry and charged with thunder; there was the general instinctive feeling, after the tragical death of the Austrian Archduke, that a storm was coming up from the North, when all at once, like a flash of lightning, came the news of the declaration of war. Hastening back to Constantinople, the author noticed all the way the wonderful enthusiasm of the French residents. From Sofia, from Philippopolis, priests and laymen were starting in obedience to their orders; industrial enterprises were deprived of their staff, colleges lost their professors. The steamers at the quay of Galata were black with crowds, amidst which stood out the white hoods of the Marist Brothers and of the Brothers of the Christian Schools ; nor did the enthusiasm of men who were hastening back to their country, which had banished them, fail to make an impression on Orientals, whose main idea of military service is that it is a thing to be avoided.

The events of the war soon made their influence felt in Turkey, and there could be no doubt as to the turn which affairs were taking. The mobilisation of the Turkish army was carried out with feverish activity ; everywhere in the streets were German officers clanking their swords on the pavements; in the roadstead the ships were beflagged, and in the German Embassy chapel a Te Beam was sung for the capture of Liege. Then began requisitions on behalf of the Government in European shops; the protests of proprietors who claimed the protection of the capitulations were laughed to scorn. A few nights later

Tremendous Shouts and Vociferations

in the streets informed Europeans that the capitulations were abrogated ; without further ceremony, and that their privileges were gone. They were soon to find out what this meant. It was the middle of September, when the schools reopened after the holidays. Suddenly the directors were informed that new regulations were drawn up. There was to be a General Director of Studies, responsible to a Turkish Minister. The professors must be provided with fresh diplomas; the schools must be under the inspection of Turkish officials, half the teaching to be given in Turkish; each school must show its old .firman and apply . for a new permission, which could be refused • without any explanation. In all these measures the German hand made itself felt,, wrapped in a Turkish glove. Under these circumstances the English school closed its doors;, others, like Saint Louis’, although deprived of day pupils, - whose : parents had left, and of half the pro- i

lessors, who had been mobilised, struggled on mantuliy. Nor were there other signs wanting' which showed the drift of events. The building =of CadiKeui, belonging to St. Louis’, which had served as a hospital during the Balkan war, was commandeered for the same purpose Gradually the foreign post offices were closed, English and French newspapers disappeared from shops and streets, and instead, the reports of German victories were noised abroad in Pera a hall was opened exhibiting pictures of the war and photographs, of ‘French, atrocities.’ It was on the *vOth October that the first direct attack was made on one of the Catholic establishments. A detachment of 200 men drew up in front of the College of St. Joseph* their officers gave orders to the Brothers to quit within 24 hours. The latter protested that they could not at a moment’s notice dismiss their 500 pupils; strong representations which they made to the Grand Vizier were successful; the over-zealous commandant, who had

Behaved with Truly Prussian Brusqueness, retired with an apology; but the retreat was only temporary. Five days later the Turkish ships, attacking the Russians at Odessa, began the war; the official papers, _ lying together with perfect harmony, like a well-trained German orchestra, affirmed that the Russians had begun the hostilities. The outbreak of war created little enthusiasm amongst the people of Constantinople; the French Ambassador was assured on all sides that there was no hostility towards France* he was begged to delay his departure. On the sth November all religious houses and hospitals were placed under the protection of the American Ambassador, Mr Morgenthau, who, notwithstanding his German name* 1 showed the greatest sympathy and interest, rendering’ wherever he could, effective help. Such aid was wanted. On the day following, soldiers invaded the Convent of San Stefano, filling the halls and even the passages, and leaving barely room for the inmates, who were almost suffocated by the stench. At MakriKeui the house of the Dominicans, notwithstanding the Italian flag, was invaded by the troops, who marched in with a martial air and then pitifully asked for bread. There could be no doubt, as the American" Ambassador told the superiors of the different houses, that these things were done at the instigation of the Germans, whose aim was gradually to suppress all French establishments. They had numerous agents in their pay, whose desire to obtain the promised rewards outran their intelligence. One morning the French Embassy was suddenly surrounded by a force of soldiers, and minutely searched for an installation of wireless telegraphy. The Church of St. Louis, in the Embassy grounds, was next visited; mysterious noises had been reported beneath the altar; so police agents lifted the trapdoor and descended into the crypt. With some difficulty they were made to understand that what they found there, after much rummaging, was not an electric wire but a drainpipe. At Bebeck, amongst the Lazarists,

Swords and Rifles were Seized;

they turned out to be toys used by the little boys for theatrical representations. The Superior of the Capuchins was locked up in the police-court, because the register of the Custom House showed a wireless apparatus to have been imported some months before ; a discussion of many hours at length convinced the officials that the apparatus, costing sixteen shillings, was merely a toy. All these annoyances, in which the Turkish police showed themselves adept pupils of their German masters, were the beginning of more serious measures. On the 13th November the Holy War was declared; noisy gangs marched about the streets, bands played before Dolma Baghe, the Sultan’s palace, and before the German and Austrian. Embassies. r , The Austrian Ambassador, the Marquis Pall avicini;’ made a speech in the French language, wishing success a to the Holy Warof the Crescent against the Cross! v. But

there was no real enthusiasm. The simple Turk could not understand the difference between English and German giaours; numerous were the cases of conscience discussed in the papers, where any molestation of the friends of Turkey was declared to be a mortal sin, deserving of hell, a reservation being made on behalf of Italians, who for the present were not to be disquieted. - But evidently the time had come to take the final measures against the religious houses. On the 18th November, between 9 and 10 in the morning, the School of St. Louis was invaded by the police, the few remaining day boys sent home, the boarders and professors locked up in the dormitory. At the same time the houses of the Fathers and the Assumption!st Sisters were occupied and sealed up, the strong-boxes forming an especial object of attention. The same thing happened at St. Benedict’s, St. Pulcheria’s ; at Cadi-Keui the Brothers were locked up in the refectory.

The Behaviour of the Police

towards the Sisters was in keeping with the chivalrous character of Prussians and Turks. The Franciscan Sisters at St. Elizabeth were locked up in their parlor, only a few being allowed to do the necessary packing : they were then guarded all night in the dormitory, for fear they might run away, and next marched off to the police station like evildoers. It was only the vigorous action of the American Ambassador which saved them from further persecution. Mr. Morgenthan, himself present at Notre Dame de Sion, insisted on the Prefect of Police showing himself to protect the Sisters from molestation and violence. It was by his intervention that the final arrangements were made for the departure of those who had been interned ; a few only remained behind to guard their houses. The press, needless to say, acclaimed with delight the closing of the French colleges, hotbeds of fanaticism, immorality, and treason ’ ; but the papers by no means represented the mind of the population, which was not ill-disposed toward religious houses. Left to themselves, the Turks would never have proceeded to acts of hostility against them. A large number of the establishments have been occupied ; they have been plundered and their owners expelled. But time, no doubt, will bring its retribution and reward.