_Crescent and Iron Cross, Chapter II_


THE THEORY OF THE NEW TURKS

In the year 1908 a military group in Constantinople, styling itself the
'Young Turk' party, seized and deposed Abdul Hamid, and shut him up at
Salonika, there to spend the remainder of his infamous days. They put
forth a Liberal programme of reformation, one that earned them at the
moment the sympathy of civilised Europe (including Germany), and the
Balance of Power very mistakenly and prematurely heaved a sigh of
relief. For upwards of a century it had maintained in Constantinople the
corrupt and bloody autocracy of the Sultans, fearing the European
quarrels that would attend the dismemberment of that charnel-house of
decay known as the Ottoman Empire, and now (just for the moment) it
seemed as if a sudden rally had come to the Sick Man, and he showed
signs of returning animation and wholesome vitality. The policy of the
Powers, after a century of failure, looked as if it was justifying
itself, and they were full of congratulations towards Turkey and each
other. But never, in the whole century of their pusillanimous cacklings,
had they made a greater mistake.

Whether the Young Turks ever meant well or not, whether there was or was
not a grain of sincerity in this profession of their policy, is a
disputed question. There are those who say that originally they were
prompted by patriotic and high-minded aims, when they proclaimed their
object of 'Organisation,' and of reform. But all are agreed that it
matters very little what their original aims were, so speedily did their
Liberal intentions narrow down to an Ottomanisation such as Adbul Hamid
had aimed at, but had been unable to accomplish before his evil sceptre