YOUNG TURK LEADERS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2480, 20 April 1909, Page 3

YOUNG TURK LEADERS.

A REVOLUTION OF YOUNG MEN

(By Charles Roden Buxton, in the "Daily Mail.”)

.The most obvious fact about the Young Turks’ leaders is that they are young. It is a significant fact. This is a revolution of young men, more completely than any other revolution lias been. Of the twenty or twenty-five with whom we of the Balkan Committee have made friends—and these eertainly include most of the leading spirits—Only three are over forty. The average would stand at about thirty-two. Let me-describe a few of them, concealing only their names. Here is Ali, a cavalry captain of thirty*!! j or sjo ; full of humor, heartily enjoying himself ; interested chiefly in tactics) and military science; "I don’t understand politics, philosophy, Socialism, and all that; it is not good for a soldier,” lie says. Here is Selim, an infantry colonel of tile Macedonian garrison, grave and silent, immersed in the work of the new commission on the reform of tlio Police. Both of the above are what we should call "'Staff College”- men. They wear on the collar a gold badge, with sword,, rifle, and cannon, signifying their knowledge of the three arms. SOLDIERS, SAILORS, JOURNAL-

ISTS. The best all-rotftd education, eomewhas curiously, is found among the military and naval men; for their course of study, such as it is, has been a complete one, whereas the teaching in the official and professional schools has been scrappy and. badly organised., while those who have educated themselves in private havo been subjected to the difficulties placed by a despotic and suspicious Government in , the way of obtaining books or exchanging ideas. The naval) men are the best English scholars. There is Mahmoud, with open face, fair complexion and blue eyes, most alive of all, the butt of the rest, whose two great subjects are his admiration for English _ social life and his hatred of Yildiiz and all liis works; and Mustafa, ouiet and businesslike, a working officer, filled with indignation at a Government which allowed its ships to rust for fear of their guns being turned against itself. Then I "recall Ferid, a professor of political economy, formerly dismissed from his post for talking too freely to his students, now reinstated—a small, keen man, at once learned and practical ; and Hafiz, an engineering expert, who has studied wireless telegraphy in more than one European Capital; and Shemshi, the doctor; and Meliemet, the advocate. There are the journalists, too—Osman, bursting with ideas,, now wreathed in smiles, now again serious, with the weight of all the world’s suffering on his shoulders and the face of a fcoy of .nineteen ; aiu] Suleiman, who has served his time in All’s regiment, athirst for knowledge, always alert, a Radical of Radicals, who, though ho lias never been abroad, is equally at borne in Turkish and French, and is rapidly acquiring English in his few leisure moments; and Towfik, with minute fail* moustache and deferential manners, who is interested iri achaeology, and has studied law and political science in Paris; and Hafiz, foreign editor of one of the new papers, irrepressibly voluble, reeling off international politics by the yard. And there are men of independent moans and position; Nedjib, for instance, from Asia Minor, with black, grizzled beard, kindly eyes and gentle manner, alive to all the difficulties, f eeling the hardest of the work is yet to come, but confident in the democratic character of bi.s people and the great intellectual changes of the last thirty years. There is Sabat, who has lived quitch- in the country for years, deeply interested in agricultural machinery -—now .suddenly emerging as a man of clear intellect, balanced judgment, and iron determination. AVliat is put into Sabat’s hands, say hi? comrades, is certain to be carried through. More will be heard of him, if one may prophesy.

THE HERO OF THH FUTURE. And I bare loft to the last one ■whose modesty I cannot spare by an alias. Enver Bey has become popular by accident, lie says; in any case lie lias slipped into .a niche 'in the Temple of Fame, and -with his rough, simple comrade, Niazi will go down to history a>s the hero of Young Turkey. He . is a cavalry major; _ handsome, neatly groomed, with black moustache turned up at the ends, and clear complexion. It is not long before you recognise, behind his courtly and somewhat reserved manners, an essentially statesmanlike mind. 'The story of lias flight to the hills, 1 1 is organisation of the revolt, and his 1 'triumphant return to Salonika is passing rapidly into popular legend. What is more admirable than this courage and promptness is his scrupulous avoidance of self-gdveytisment ami lift; firmness in refusing the high place to which he might justly be expected to rise. He is going to Berlin as Military Attache, ancl means, while retaining hit membership of the Committee, to devote himself to liis chosen career as a soldier.

The. men of whom I ana thinking refuse to speak of their exploits, and it is most difficult, even now, to ascertain how the revolution came about. They take the whole thing ns a matter of course. One Can hardly realise that thought we call the revolution a “peaceable” one, hundreds of their comrades, men who strove—perhaps less skilfully—for the same objects, have suffered death ; that they themselves schemed and plotted, at the risk of their lives, for years; that they expected, and were fully prepared, for, a revolutionary war of six months at least, following the first outbreak. Will the adventurous spirit of youth lead these men, inexperienced in government, suddenly invested with virtual responsibility for ...the administration of an empire,, to dangerous lengths of Radicalism? Will the mid-dle-aged and the okl rise up against them, and rebel in their turn against tins domination of the youny? I do not think so, and that for several-reasons. For one thing, no one can yet forget what these men have done. It is they who. brought the despotism to an end. While others murmured and did nothing, they- set to work',, prepared "the way, and struck the deadly blow. the older personalities. And while I am speaking of personalities, I must not forget the alder members of thel committee, who may be trusted to he cautious. There is Ahmed Riza. now President of the Chamber of Deputies'; for twenty-five years in Paris, earning liis living by teaching, conducting the “Sliura-i-Ummet, the organ of the Young Turkey propaganda which was circulated m Turkey through secret channels—a dangerous eame both for him. and Jus agents. In tlie long) vears of banishment he despaired again and again, as he told the Chamber, of Deputies, of ever seejug Uie realisation pi lus hopes'. T tom

the first day of Parliament, even before his election a® President,-his tall, alert figure, his) keen face, with its neat, grey beard, and his quick, intellect, dominated the Assembly. His position as President does not preclude him from speaking, and be will, perhaps, be the strongest personality in tho House. Ho is recognised as the .Young Turkish leader -*ar excellence, though the Committed of Union and Progress* does not, in theory, admit pre-eminence of any of its members. Then there is Talaat Bey, from Adrialiople, with his ruddy complexion and blac’k moustache, his sweet smile, and his somewhat deficient French. They chaff him mercilessly for his burly figure, but all love and honor him. He is a man who lias worked for the cause during as many years as somo have months. His long service has earned him the honor which lie at' present holds of being the first Vive-President of the Chamber of Deputies. There is Aehmet, Jew by race, Moslem by religion, a man of sixty-five of sixtju He started his career as an advocate, then went into business and finance, and is now a writer of some repute on commercial subjects. His demonstrative and affectionate manners show you at once that be is not ,a Turk. He is full of humor and jollity; yet at the bottom he is a philosopher, at times turning suddenly grave as lie discusses the hope of some universal religion of benevolence, which may unite the world. And last, but not the least important, there i.s Maniassi Refic Bey, the present Minister of Justice. He is the only regular member of the Committee of Union and Progress who at present bolds a Government nortf olio. They are very proud of him,, and he came in for the lions share of popular applauso ■at the opening of Parliament.