Fair Play For The Turks.

New York Times 100 years ago today, November 26, 1912:
Mr. Herrick Testifies That People as a Whole Are Abused.
To the Editor of The New York Times:
    In the war raging in Southeastern Europe, the sympathy of Americans appears to be given very generally to the allies against Turkey, but it is an amiable trait of many Americans to champion the under dog. Let us see if certain facts in the situation in the Nearer East may not stimulate this championship of Turkey in the hour of her deep humiliation.
    The four little kingdoms of Southeastern Europe, long subject to Turkey, now grown strong in their independence, have for once united, first, to avenge the wrongs suffered by them for centuries; secondly, to free their Macedonian compatriots and co-religionists from the rule of the Turk, and third, to demonstrate their right to dominion in Southeastern Europe free from the dictation of the great powers.
    These are the three objects for which they are fighting. They are exploiting the religious fanaticism of their people and trying to make the world believe that they are champions of Christianity against Islam, in the inner thought of those leaders religion figures very small, and material interests figure very large. "Macedonia has terribly suffered from Turkish misrule," they say, but for half a century and more the fierce and implacable quarrels between Greeks and Bulgarians in Macedonia have been the prime cause of keeping those provinces in interminable agitation.
    Miss Stone was kidnapped ten years ago by so-called brigands and held for five months in captivity. Her captors were Bulgarian patriots, not brigands. They had two objects in the capture: first, to show the world how badly the Turks govern Macedonia, so badly that even an American lady could be carried off by a band of mountaineers, and, second, to force the payment of a large ransom and so supply themselves with arms to fight the Turks with.
    The Turks, under the terrible strain of the present war, as under the provocation of Italy's piratical raid into their possessions in North Africa, exercise the noble restraint of refusing to proclaim a "holy war." The appeal of Turkey last year and this to the great powers of Europe for fair play has been cogent, but in vain. "Has Europe," they say, "admitted us into a rank among European States purely in their own interest, bound to disown us and let our rights be trampled on when only justice and treaties speak in our behalf and their self-interest is against us?" Turkey is co-signatory with the independent European States in The Hague agreements. Has she been treated justly under those agreements?
    There is in this country widespread misunderstanding of Turkish character. Official Turks under Abdul Hamid were, it is true, models of bland courtesy coupled with past-mastership in every form of deceit. Turkish soldiers have been thought to be brutal, but the Turkish people, the peasantry of Asia Minor, mainly small farmers, from whom the army is conscripted, are simple, honest, hospitable, industrious, peaceable, thoroughly human, and lovable.
    Many think the Turks will be so embittered over the results of the war that their attitude toward all Christians of the West, as well as of Europe, will be one of unqualified revulsion. It is my conviction, after passing a lifetime among them, that the result will be quite other than this. They will be profoundly grateful for the relief administered to them by Americans in this hour of their unparalleled suffering and calamity; and our philanthropic efforts for them, through hospitals, schools, and the press will be more welcomed than ever before. The hour of the Turks' humiliation is the hour for Americans to befriend them.
             GEORGE F. HERRICK, of Constantinople.
             New York, Nov. 24, 1912.