Way To Turkish Peace.

New York Times 100 years ago today, August 28, 1912:
Sultan Should Remain the Religious Head of Tripoli.
To the Editor of The New York Times:
    Commenting editorially in last Sunday's issue of The Times upon the probable grounds for peace between Turkey and Italy, you emphasized first of all the necessity of Italy's conceding to the Sultan the retention by him in Tripoli of his religious jurisdiction. The opinion thus expressed is apparently based upon the knowledge of the keen jealousy of the Mohammedan for the preservation of his religious institution and his irreconcilable antipathy against the non-Mohammedan conqueror.
    In conceding the point in question Italy would not be divesting herself of any right or privilege that she should or would care to retain. It is easier for her to supervise the religious institutions of a Mohammedan community through Mohammedan agencies rather than through an alien agency. In recognizing the said right of the Sultan over Tripoli Italy would be following precisely in the footsteps of Great Britain, France, and Russia in the manner they deal with their Mohammedan subjects. In making this so-called concession she would be following a universal custom, which prescribes that a given community professing a faith other than that of the political sovereign of its allegiance may do so, and submit to the religious jurisdiction of the head of its faith, whose domicile or citizenship may be other than its own.
    It is to be admitted that in a treaty such as the one suggested one of the points to be mentioned would be the religious jurisdiction of the Sultan, which is, as I stated, nothing else but a matter of form.
    The most difficult point in the premises is to evolve a basis of settlement which would not conflict with the national dignity of the contestants.
    Be that as it may, the existing conditions in the territories of the contending parties, as well as the alignment and attitude of the powers interested, should lead one to the reasonable belief that the existing state of warfare between Italy and Turkey will terminate before the second anniversary of its beginning.
        VAHAN CARDASHIAN.
        New York, Aug. 26, 1912.