Forty Years in Constantinople: The Recollections of Sir Edwin Pears, 1873-1915

424 Pages·17.303 MB·English

by  Edwin Pears

FORTY YEARS
IN
CONSTANTINOPLE
THE RECOLLECTIONS OF
SIR EDWIN PEARS
1873-1915
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
16
HERBERT JENKINS LIMITED
ARUNDEL PLACE HAYMARKET
LONDON MCMXVI
S.W. eg eg
EXBIELIOTHECA
FR.^IIC.BABINGER
THIRD EDITION
THE ANCUOK PRF.RS. LTD.,TIPTBEK, ESSEX.
rsl
PREFACE
my
IN writing reminiscences of Life in Constantinople
I have been under the disadvantage of depending
almost entirely on memory. When I was compelled
to leaveTurkeyin the middle of lastDecember I was unable
to bring away memoranda and books which would have
enabled me to fix dates, to give correct spelling of names of
persons and places, and would have recalled a hundred cir-
cumstances, which without such aids I am unable to relate
with desirable exactitude. This is all I havetoadd by way
of excuse for any inaccuracies andshortcomings inmybook.
I could have added many more reminiscences of visitors
who have given me the pleasure of seeing them, some of
them men and women whom allEngland delights tohonour.
Merely to mention their names would lay one open to a
charge of sycophancy. To relate conversation with them
would be a breach of confidence. If, for example, I should
tell the story of one of our legislators who made all haste to
get awayfrom thecitybecausehelearnedthatAbdul-Hamid
proposed toinvitehim to dinner, and who gave as hisreason
for getting away that if invited he could hardly refuse, and
that if he accepted he would lose all nonconformist votes,
I should have to miss the point of my story unless I men-
tioned the name, which I should not be justified in doing.
Had space permitted, I should have liked much to speak
at length of visits of that of Miss Isabel Fry, who spent
:
time and money for the benefit of Turkish women of the
;
Members of the Balkan Committee, notably Mr. Noel E.
Buxton and his brother Lady Boyle and Sir Edward
; ;
SirArthurEvans, andotherswhoselabours for thebenefit of
all sections of the community won them the gratitude of
1847S82
PREFACE
vi
Moslems and Christians alike of the veteran Frederic
;
Harrison, who was especially honoured by the best men of
the Young Turkey Party of Mr. H. W. Massingham, who
;
shewed himself greatly interested in Turkish institutions.
These visits were of great value to leading Turks and other
members of the community as setting before them ideals of
conduct and self-sacrifice.
Turkey has long attracted some of our best men and
women. The singular devotion of Miss Edith Durham has
won general respect in all the Western Balkan States. The
massacres at Adana drew Lady Rosalind Northcote and
several others to the aid of the victims. Susan, Lady
Malmesbury, took great interest in the schools and colleges
of the capital. Mr. Edward Clodd wanted to learn every-
thing regardingMoslem and Christian education. The late
Mr. John Westlake, a friend whom I had known from my
Social Science days, always took great interest in the
developments of Turkey. Another old and dearfriendfrom
the same period was Rev. Brooke Lambert, who stayed with
me on three occasions, on one of which during our summer
residenceheconducted divineserviceinoursalaat Prinkipo.
Canon MalcolmMcCall paid us twovisits, andfrom the time
of theMoslem atrocities in Bulgaria was always keenly aUve
to the religious and political questions of the Near East,
I have to express my very sincere thanks to Hariot, Lady
Dufferin, for the excellent photographs of her husband and
herself. I possess one signed by Lord Dufferin, but, like
another of General Skobeleff and others which it was my
intention to use, I have not seen my way to obtain them
from Constantinople. My thanks are also due to Lady
O'Conor for offering to place at my disposal a series of
photographs of her husband ; to Lord Goschen for a photo
whichcarriesmymemoryback tothetimewhenitwas taken
and the men with whom he had to act and to Beatrice,
;
Lady Ellenborough, for permission to reproduce from her
photograph the portraitof Jane Digby, Lady Ellenborough.
EDWIN PEARS.
London, S.W., Sep. 20, 1915.
——
CONTENTS
FAQB
PREFACE - . - - - V
CHAPTER
I
GO TO CONSTANTINOPLE
I
—
AChance—RemarkandtheCons—equences TheSocial—ScienceAssocia-
tion —Pleasant R—elations I Start for Turkey —First Impres-
sions Bakshi—sh The Turks' Incurable Ma—lady The Comedy
of the Buoys The Tragedyof the Bridge An Ideal Coal for
theNavy - - - - - -. I
CHAPTER
II
THE MOSLEM ATROCITIES IN BULGARIA
— —
'Our Own C—orrespondent" Robert Co—llege Dr. Wash—burn and
Dr. Long —^The Bulgarian St—udents Ugly Rumo—urs "Allah's
Business" M—y First Letter Disraeli's Doub—ts I Send Addi-
tional Proof —Incomprehensible Sce—pticism Macgahan Sent
to Investigate Horri—ble Discoveri—es Mr. Walter Baring Ap-
p—ointed Commissioner—HisReport Disraeli's Strange Conduct
Deathof—Macgahan ConferenceofPowers, Dec-Jan—., 1877
Its Failure—Salisbury Unpopular in Constantinople " Bravo,
SirElliot" DeclarationofWarby Russia, April24, 1877 - 12
CHAPTER
III
THE RUSSO-TURKISH WAR
— —
The Russo-Turkish—War Begins Battle of Sheno—va British Fleet
in Besika—Bay British C—olony Still Hostile British Fleet at
Prinkipo LeavesTurk—ey Did Arrivalof BritishFle—etPrevent
Russian Occupation ? Baker Pa—sha and Suliman SkobeleflE
andthe Takingof Constantinople My Visit—to HiminCamp
Remarka—ble Unanswered Telegram to Czar Personal Remin-
iscen—ces Fellow Correspondents,—Galenga, George Augustus
Sala A Correspondent Impostor Remarkable Solution of a
Prize Case - - - - - - 25
|vii
————
AA
CONTENTS
viii
CHAPTER IV
EAST AND WEST
— PAOB
The AIntPir-oRtuesssti—an—JoBurrintiaslhisCmolEoxntyraoArndiAndadrry—e—ssMrt.o SLirayHaerndryBEelclioomtes
Ambas—sador The Marques—s of Bath "A Year Behind—the
Fair" Mr. W. E—. Forster A Grand Vizier's Rudene—ss Mr.
Hughes'sRevenge "TheOnlyGentle—manin Europe " British
Tommiesanda Turkis—h Toll Collector Gallant—ry and Death
AStrangeCourtScene TheScots atHasskewi Howa Lawyer
"43
Cannotbe a Jackass - - - -
CHAPTER V
THE REVOLUTION OF
1876
— — —
Turkey's Finances Heavy Losses —The Moral Effect Outcry
Againstthe Sultan's E—xtravagance—His Passion for Building
Abdu—lAzizaPrisoner HisSu—icide ACommittee ofExamina-
tion T—he Trial of Ministers The—Tradition of the Turkish
Palace Murad Ascends —the Throne He is Deposed and S—uc-
ceeded by Abdul Hami—d The Question of a Constitution—
Revelation of—Abuses The New For—m of Government
Blunt Speaker The Traditional Method A Question of Right
orWrong - - - - - - 52
CHAPTER VI
ARCH.<EOLOGICALINTERESTS AND LADY ELLENBOROUGH
—
Dr, Paspate—sand Dr. Schliemann My—FirstVisitto the Patri—archal
Church An—Impressive Ceremony —The GreekTraditi—on The
SiteofTroy —InterestingDiscoveries —Visitsto Nicaea AVisit
—to Damascus IMeetth—e Sheik's Wife A R—emarkableWoman
—AQueenofthe Desert Lifein theHarem AnArabInvasion
The Bedouins' Devotion - - - ^ - 62
CHAPTER VII
THE EGYPTIAN QUESTION
— —
The Arriv—al of Sir Henry Layard—Russophobia Ideals Ab—outthe
Turk A Scheme of—Reform S—ir Henry Disillusioned Glad-
—stone's GreekLetter— AScandal T—he Khedive's Extravagance
Egypt's Finances Du—al Control The—Succession Changed
The —Khedive Deposed Turkish Alarm Saving —the Sultan's
Face Mr.—Goschen Succeeds Si—r Henry Layard Bisma—rck's
Rudeness The Sultan Obdurate Mr. Goschen's Victory The
Murderof Colonel CumaroflE - - - - 75
CHAPTER VIII
EGYPT
—
Lord—Dufferin Appointed A—mbassador The Revolt of Arabi —Pasha
Turkish Pin-pricks The Bombardment of Alexandria Tel-
el-Kebir—The British Left to Restore Order—Turkey's Help
————A
CONTENTS
ix
— — — PAGE
Solicited The Sultan's—Refusal Baker Pasha—'s Anxiety Mr.
Gladstone Determined British Troops Land— Lord and Lady
DufEeri—n's Services to the European—Colony The Girls' High
School Lad—y DufEerin's Popularity A Courteous but Strong
Ambassador A Broad-minded Man - - - 87
CHAPTER IX
ABDUL HAMID
—
The Sultan'sSuperstition Abdul Hamid—'s Hostilityto Arme—nians
THahmeidT'usrki—sUhpbrLianwginogf—SAucceNsasriroonw ItEsnvDiirsoandmveanntt—agTehse A—Fbldeuelt
Neglected Abdul Ha—mid's Sensitiveness to Criticism —An
Unofficial Censorship A Continuous —Foreign Policy An
Avengement—forthe Evacuation of Egjrpt— The Sultan Refuses
—His Consent —Lord Salisbury's Rejoin—der A Prosperous Egypt
Izzet Pasha Th—e Two Secretaries Belief in Astrolog—ers
The Tabah Affair —The Sultan's "Diplomatic Vic—tory" A
S—uspicious Monarch An Elaborate Spying—System Blackmail
The Censors—Regard Me as Incorrigibl—e I am Threatened
with Expulsion Turkish "Decorations" A Clever Fraud - 102
CHAPTER X
ARMINIUS VAMBERY AND ABDUL HAMID
— —
Pfere Hyacinthe Women without—Souls The Khedive's Dict—um
H"eFnrreye BSu—pleweecrh"anidn PTluartkaeeay—HTihse—DSuumltmany'sLiIbnrtaerryf—erAenrcmeiniSuisr
Vambery A Chance Encounter A—Polyglot Gentlema—n
Vambery's Advice—to Abdul Hamid The Su—ltan's Anger
Suppressed Bo—ok The White Slave —Traffic A Courageous
EngUshwoman An American's Mistake A SplendidWork - 121
CHAPTER XI
THE SULTAN'S SUMMONS
— — —
Sir Edward Thornto—n Mr. Sunset Cox A Brilliant Speaker— Sir
William White Hi—s Friendship with D—r. Washburn The
Sult—anSends for Me The Ide—al Dragoman I Refu—seaDecora-
tion HajiAli'sA—stonishment TheSul—tan Persists The Secre-
tary's I—gnorance A Visitfr—om a Spy The Decoration Again
Offe—red A Significant Hint The Value of a Turkish Decora-
tion The Orderof the Mejidieh Conferred on a FightingCock 134
CHAPTER XII
THE ARMENIAN MASSACRES
—
Popularityo—f "TheBosporusBull" T—heSacredness ofth—e Sultan's
Tougra —Baron Calice's Subtlety Sir Philip—Currie Turkish
Tobacco Th—e Armenians and Their Cu—lture Lord Byron and
—TheirTongue The—DesireforEducation Palmerston'sEpig—ram
The "Yes Sirs " Abdul Hamidandthe Murdered Turk An
——
X CONTENTS
— — PA,OB
—Armenian Tragedy The Sultan—'s Resolve Organised—Massacre
A Terrible.Lis—t of-Victims.D—eath.or Conv-ersion .An Ar-
menian's Re—port AGreatOutcry Mr. Gordon Bennett—in Con-
stantinople The—New York Herald's Investigations Abdul
Hamid—'s Mistake Mr. Hepworth's a—nd Mr. Fitzmaurice's Re-
ports " Voluntary" Conversions The Mzissacre in Urfa
Cathedral 1^4
CHAPTER XIII
THE TURKISH METHOD
Turkish Fle—et Neglected, but Added to Under Strange Circ—um-
stances Kutchuk Said Takes—Refuge at British Embassy Is
—Protected by S—irPhilipCur—rie Girdingonthe Swordof—Osman
Hamdi Bey Alla—verdi Bishop Wordsw—orth's Visit Lady
Curri—e's Popularity A Cultured Wo—man The Spy's Invita-
t—ion TheYoung Turks—'Indiscretion TheSecretary's—Dilemma
A—Counter Offensive An Uncompromising—Retort Espion-
age The—Englishmen and the Fe—male Spy The Armenian
Ritriarch AnImpressiveCeremony ThePatriarch'sCordiality 170
CHAPTER XIV
SIR NICHOLAS O'CONOR
—
Sir Nicholas O'Conor at Co—nstantinople Our—Meeting at Sofia
Stambuloff SendsforMe —MyLost Luggage IEnterthePalace
Looking Like a Brigand— Stambuloff Comes to See —me Off
The Stateof Mace—donia RobberChiefs as Protecto—rs Exodus
ofthe Inh—abitants Hilmi Pash—a'sReforms Shelved The Rival
—Churches AnAppealtoRome TheE—ternalQuestionof Reform
FormationofaRevolutionaryParty Dr.Nazim'sAdventures 189
CHAPTER XV
BARON MARSCHALL VON BIEBERSTEIN
— —
The Baron's Gr—eeting The Fire-eatersat —Home Fehim Effendi's
Escapades Abdu—l Hamid's Protection The Germ—an Ambassa-
dor's Ultimatum Fehim—'sBanishmentandDeath —SirNicholas
O'Conor's Th—oroughness Our S—unday Excursions —A Turkish
Superstition Hanniba—l's Tomb Egyptian—Affairs Death of
SirNicho—las O'Conor The Kaiser's Protest Baron Marschall's
Methods ^A " Thorough" Man - - - - 205
CHAPTER XVI
THE REVOLUTION OF 1908
— —
SecretCo—mmittees Sir Philip Curr—ie's Anger Turkish Procrastina-
t—ion TheSickManofEurope —AbdulHamidaBar—toTelephones
Condit—ion ofArmyandNavy Ign—orantOfl&cers Disaff—ection
General The Salon—ica Committee Methods of Se—crecy The
Third Army Corps Enver and Niazi in Revolt The End
—————————
A
,
CONTENTS
xi
— — FAQB
—Approaching Corruptionand—Tyranny Espio—nageEverywhere
Turkish Wo_men—In-volved -The Firs-t Shot .The—Dec-ision of
the Fetva —Emine The Troops Refu—se to Fight Wholesale
Promotions —Afraid to Tell Abdul The Cour—t Astrologer
Requisition—ed The Sultan Bows to the Storm A—Wave of
Popularity Spies Abolished and Liberty Proclaimed General
Rejoicing 218
CHAPTER XVII
THE YOUNG TURKS IN POWER
— —
Popularity of Great —Britain ^The Waring G—uard Great Britain's
Disinterestedness —Abdul Hamid's O—ath Prisoners Released
A Grav—e Mistake Ugly Rumours A New —Ministry Under
Kiamil Ab—dul Hamidand the—Kaiser's Letter Success—of the
Revolution The P—alace Staff Abdul Hamid's Orders ^Von
derGoltzsuspected Turks—' Vaguenessasto the C—onstitution
I visit the Sheik-ul-Is—.lam A.Rema.rkable Ma—n The Secret
Methods of the C.U—.P. A Peo—ple Transformed An American
Lady's Adventure " Yasak" A—Precipitated Revolut—ion
The Austrians and the Albanians A Diificult Situation ^The
Sultan's Favourites - - 239
CHAPTER XVIII
THE COUNTER REVOLUTION OF APRIL 13, 1909
—
—
The Unemployed ^Turk—ish Anti-Semitism —Javad Bey Appointed
Minister of Finance—The Reactionaries—A Military Revolt
Disturbi—ng Reports—The Sacred Law Mahm—ud Mukhtar's
Loyalty His Flight My Son'—s Prompt Action Surrounded
TAheMDatrta—egromoafnsLiafnedotrheDSeulattahn—MAunkhItnatre'rsr—upEtsecdaTpuer—kiAshHBaaitlhof
Bullets—The Meaning of the Mov—ement A Surprise to the
Cabinet— Nazim Pasha.'s Esca.pe Dis.s—atisfac.tion wi.th the
C.U.P. The Comedy of t—he Steamers Abs—urd Anomalies
T—urkification and Tyranny Th—e Nationalists Ofl&cial Murd—ers
^What Occurred at Salon—ica The Army of D—eliverance
Systematic Counter-stroke The Tables Turned The Exodus
from thePalace 257
CHAPTER XIX
ABDUL HAMID DEPOSED
— — —
Enver's Significant Words—A New Era A Precipitated Coup
The Sultan—'s Attitude The Nationa—l Assembly Decide Upon
Deposition Ab—dul Hamid In—formed He Pleads forHis Life
His Cowardice Maho—met V. Abdul Hamid is Pac—ked Off
Refre—shingthe Harem TheNew—Sultan Proclaimed—AKindly
Man Defying Ab—dul Hamid Tu—rkish Misrul—e Fostering
Religious Hatred The Caliphate The Jehad Bribes for
Reactionaries - - - - - 282
— ———
AA
CONTENTS
xii
CHAPTER XX
STRUGGLES OF THE COMMITTEE OF UNION AND PROGRESS
— — PAQB
A Question of R—esponsibility ^TheAdana—Massacre A Commission
o—fEnquiry ExaminingY—ildizKiosk EmbarrassingDiscoveries
—HangingReactionaries The—C.U.P.VisitsFranceand—England
fjaJnagvaEdveBreyy'tshiMnigs—s—ioAnaFoFoaliilsuhreBo^yTchoetCt.—U.—AP.'SsecBrleutndSetrrsuggTluer—ki-
JehadthatFailed TheSu—ltan's Progress ASev—ereCriticism
Hakki—Pasha's Comment A Strug—gle for Life Damat Fe—rid
Pasha TheD—ogsofConstantinople T—heirUnwrittenLaws
Terribl—e Fate-Great-FiresinS-ta—mbul-Young-Turks'V-ig—orous
Action An Insanitary Ho—spital Fire I—nsurance Claims—The
Turksand Life Ins—urance A New L—aw Absurd Clauses My
Drastic Excisions—Decentralisation A Cumbro—us System
The Gendarmerie ^The Modem Woman Phase Miss Isabel
Fry's Work 297
CHAPTER XXI
ANNEXATION OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
—
Prince Ferdinand—declares himself King R—eorganisation of the
—Turkish Navy —Difficulties w—ith Albania The Balkan—League
Its Successes Dissensions MediationofthePowers O—rtho-
dox and Bulgarian Churches Agree for Common Action M—y
Last Interview with Marschal—l von Bieberstein Coup d'etat
AssassinationofNazim Pasha Forced Resignationof Kiamil
—
Arrival—of Sir Louis Mallet Quarrel b—etween Bulgaria and
Serbia Assassination of Shevket Pasha British Relief Com-
mittees in Constantinople . _ . - 322
CHAPTER XXII
AUGUST-OCTOBER, 1914
—
Imll Before the Storm Turki—sh Ministers Favourable to Englan—d,
Excepting Enver Pasha Arrival of Goebe—n and Breslau
ConstantDeclarationsofNeutralityb—yTurks BritishShipsnot
Permitted to—Pass Into the Aegean Disadvantages of British
Ambassador Ha—rd and Fast Rule Between Diplomatic and
Consular Service—Irritation of Turks at Pre-emption of Ships
Builtin England —Constant Series of Attacks Against England
in Constantinople Finding Turks Would not Declare War
GermansinCommandofTurkishFleetBombardOdessa - 339
CHAPTER XXIII
THE AMERICAN AMBASSADOR AT CONSTANTINOPLE
—
IWishtoRem—aininConsta—ntinopleAfterDeclarationofWar Iam
Arrested Imprisoned —Released by Intervent—ion of the
American A—mbassador I Leave Constantinople Journey to
—D6d6agatch Thenceto Pira—eus, Malta, Marseilles, and England
Incidents of the Voyage Noble Conduct of Mr. and—Mrs.
Morgenthau Towards French and British Refugees The
Y.M.C.A. in Constantinople - . - . 35^