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Show SULTAN'S LAST STAND. A great majority of the various peoples peo-ples who properly belong to the civilized civil-ized world will agree with Lord Bryce that the expulsion of the sultan of Turkey Tur-key from Europe has long been overdue over-due and this demand of the entente en-tente allies has been generally approved ap-proved in the United States. The expulsion would have occurred long ago had the Christian nations been able to trust one another and work together for the common good of all. Unfortunately, Unfortu-nately, each power haB been engaged in looking out for itself and grabbing territory ter-ritory here and there as occasion arose, . the "sick man of Europe" being constantly con-stantly shorn of his possessions, but being be-ing allowed to retain his foothold and rule at Constantinople. From tho time Amurath captured Andrianople in the fourteenth century down to the outbreak of the present conflict con-flict the Turks have been engaged in slaughtering Christians. For centuries they were conquerors, but when the tide turned and the once mighty Moslem empire em-pire began to decay they were saved time and again because of the jealousy and distrust "of the Christian powers and the fear that expulsion of the Turk from Europe would precipitate a general fight over the spoils. That the fear was justified is amply proved by the fact that when Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria Bul-garia attacked and defeated the Turks a short time ago a second war was necessary nec-essary before the Balkan allies could divide the territory gained by force of arms in the first enterprise. At the close of these two conflicts the Balkan "cloud" still hung dark and threatening over the world. Soon the storm broke in an unexpected manner and the general European war was precipitated. pre-cipitated. Turkey could have held aloof and been protected by both sides when the time for settlement arrived. The sublime porte, however, being more or less under German influence, risked the future of the Moslem empire by joining the central powers and sending forth the followers of the prophet to fight against the entente allies. The entrance of Turkey into the war has had a disastrous dis-astrous effect upon the entente campaign cam-paign and has been of great help to the Teutons. Under these circumstances it is but natural that the entente statesmen states-men should make preparations for the Hnal disappearance of the "unspeakable Turk" from Europe. So the Moslems are really making their last stand. - If they lose little will be left of the Turkish empire in either Europe or Asia, for it is the intention of the entente allies to emancipate all the surviving Christians from the rule of the sultan and confine the head of Islam within a small area. Russia, which was prevented pre-vented from taking Constantinople two score years ago, is to come into possession posses-sion of the ancient city and control the Dardanelles if all goes well with the entente. en-tente. The fear first expressed by Napoleon Na-poleon Bonaparte that Europe would become be-come "all Cossack or all republican" has been dissipated by the recent world upheaval. Sympathy has often been expressed for the Moors, who were expelled from Spain after having been defeated by the armies of Ferdinand and Isabella, but the expulsion of the Turks from Europe, if it finally occurs, will be hailed with the greatest possible amount of satisfaction in all quarters of the civilized world. |