OCR Text |
Show INVADING FORCES I ifflOHLTAN II Investing Army Begins Its Ad- ; vance Upon llic" Capital . of Turkey. FATE OF1 THE RULER I jH NOT YET DETERMINED H People oT City Throvui Iutd f fll Panic by Report That Eight- fl ing Is Inevitable. ll'l CONST ANTI NOP LK. April -I- I 2I. Heavy rille firing has Iippii r : n- in progress since n o'clock this -I- 1 y morning, with Ihe occasional -r ' rattle of the artillery surround- ; j- ing the Yildiis Kiosk. linlica- !- 'H r tions are that an engagement is -I 1 IH in progress between the advanc-n advanc-n ing Saloniki troops and the Yil- (. garrison. IH CONSTANTINOPLE. April 2:i. The ll advance of tho concentrated army of investment began today. While the favored troops of the. Constantinople V jH garrison were giving homage to the sul- ' tan on Yildi, hill, there was a forward movement of tho Consfitufioual -forces " J to within two and a half miles of the lH Yildi?; kiosk. Cavalry went out lo rcconnoiter and fl soldiers were sent to picket tho bridge across the Sweet Waters. 1 A parly of fifty American lourifts.. J just arrived, were turned back by the ,' horsemen. Jufantry was then observed advancing and rumors spread through- IH out. the city that the army was about j IH to enter the capital nnd lighting was J -IH incvilablc. " jM Great Panic Caused. i There was a great panic. Shopkocp- ' 'H crs iu a large pari of Pera put up their 4 jH shutk-iw. British h'inbassador Lowthcr j jH was caught in the swirling crowd near. the embassy and Jiundreds of frantic 'f jH persons poured into the embassy com- j pound, imploring asylum. The gates of h-jH fho embassy were closed with difficulty.' ' but it was laic iu the afternoon before t the refugees were assured and sent j homeward. . Tho out posls of the invaders remained J 'within about, two miles of tho palace' lo 3 night. On that side iho city is entire- uH Iy open, the fortifications having been iH planned to resist an approach bv water. j It is impossible to sav just what arc ( the intentions of the leader of the Con- ; .H stiiuiionalisfs, who are divided into two !! jH factions, the radical and the couscrva- lives. Hvidcutly the Constitutionalists - 1 ' are divided regarding the sultan. The. parliamentary deputies, who met at San 'M Stcl'ano today, seem to favor liis deposi-tion; deposi-tion; but the splendid rcccptiou ac- corded the sullan today on his appear- ' ancc iu public was a graphic demonstra- j I linn of the fact that he retains a strong hold on the hearts of t.lie people. .He j j was acclaimed by thousands on his way from Ihe gate of the palace to Iho white ' ' mosque outside the wdlls of Yildi?: j J kiosk. No Mercy Pronuscd, No guarantees of any kind have been t given to the sultan by the Constitution- j 1 nlists, either with regard to his relen- tion of the throne or the security of his j person. The Constitutionalists have j . practical control of tho government and 1 are taking a passive attitude toward ! , the sullan. Tewfik Pasha, grand vizier, I i and his associates have agrc(d to carry r .' out the wishes of parliament, M Gen. M'ahmoud Schefket. who iu a 1 telegram fo the grand' vizier today - styled himsolf coinniauder-in-chief of the army of invest ment.' and of the. Ol- toman fleet, is now almost iu supremo : I authority In his communication pub-lishod pub-lishod tonight as a )inclama(ioii Oca. Schefkel said: ! j "Owing to recent corruption among , the imperial guard, the power of govern- ; J inonl in the capital was completely an- nihilated. In order to restore and' con solidate the authority of the govern- ment, the second aud third army corps. ' 1 dis)atched troops to Constantinople and placed me at the head of those forces t and also of the navy. Pardons will be ! ' 'M granted to repentant soldiers who sub- v mil, but those continuing to rebel. will t t be punished without mercy. Dethronement Not Wanted. "Certain guilty individuals, nppre- j heading chastisement, have, spread re- . jH ports that the army of investment imr- TM poses lo (lethrono the sultan. T abso- ltit 0 13- deny this allegation. If during ; 1 Ihe operations agitators attempt to pro- IH voice troubles they will be held rcspon?!; ( JH The general has sent a largo body of I roups by .steamer to Smyrna, thence to Iski-Slielir and o'thcr points across 1 , j tho railway leading from Constantino- j j fM jlc to capture refugees. 'u Tomorrow is pay day for the Coustan- f linople t loops. Veslertlay tho treasury ' lM department was wit hout .sufficient funds , tH and it was considered dangerous by the cabinet to leave the soldiers unpaid, be- j j cause of the possibility of riots aud looting. As a final resort, the minister J lH of war hastily summoned tho officials 1 of the tobacco monopoly and some of j tho leading bankers, who have nr- i'J ranged to provide funds. j I Later reports from Adaun show ap-" I palling distress. About 15.000 persons j jH are homeless and starving and thou- f sands of orphans are to bo provided for, j H In a comparatively small community, t'dl nineteen Protestant pastors havo been jl killed. Tho loss of wheat and the dam i'l ago of Hour mills cause high prices. r'l Relief will bo distributed irrespective ''1 of race and creed by a commission of : ql Moslems and Christians presided over ' ! liy the missionary. Mr. Chambers, who il has liad much experience with relief. i lH work at former Armenian massacres, 1 'll aud under the supenisiou of iho Brit ish consul.-, j The central government is trying to J jiroyiilc shelter and food for tho -refit-. 1 goes, bul foreign help is urgently j Coulinuud on. Tea, ' J INVADING FORCES APPROACH SULTAN Continued from Page One. needed to prevent further loss of life by starvation. SULTAN STILL' IS UPHELD BY MANY CONSTANTINOPLE, April 2B. Tho sultan appeared upon the streets oC Constantinople today and was greeted by the people -with erics of adoration. Vfath a mask-liko countenance and his head sunk between his stooped shoulders shoul-ders he acknowledged the salutations of. the throng by curt nods. The occasion of his majesty's appearance ap-pearance was his regular Friday visit to tho white mosque outside, the walls of Yildiz. kiosk, a ceremony known as the Selamlik. l!t was the "first time tho sultan had bcrn seen in public since tho recent; outbreak April JL'5. On the word that the Selamlik would occur today the people in great numbers num-bers made their wa' in carriages and on foot to greet the sultan at the Yildiz Yil-diz kiosk.- From the gate of the palace inclosure to the mosque the broad driveway drive-way was lined on each side by the picked regiments of thce army. Representing Rep-resenting every branch in tho ser-vico ser-vico all were in i.hoir host, uniforms, with the unique trousers and canvas leggings, trappings of red, yellow, green and with red fezes or red and green turbans tur-bans on their heads. Every point of vantage was occupied by tho soldiers, and the mosque was completely filled by them. Eogimonts of cavalry filled a nearby open field. The avenue leading from the tuosque to the palace gate, freshly sprinkled with -white sand that the sultan might have an undefilcd path to his place of worship, was lined four and six deep by tho troops of the empire. Back of the soldiers gathered a. dense throng. At noon the gates were thvowji open and the sultan appeared in his customary custom-ary victoria. He drove the short distance dis-tance to the mosquo and at once entered en-tered to say lii s prayers. After the completion of his devotion he returned by the same way he came, and disappeared disap-peared through tho broad portal into the guarded precincts of his palace. Hailed as a Saint. His majesty's progress was marked by an ovation, the. people as ho drove by saluting him as their master and a saint. His majesty nodded to right and left as his victoria -was driven at a slow pace through the lines of soldiers, and lie carried his right hand at a salute. As the sultan drove by tho terrace of white stone that, is used by distinguished distin-guished visitors lo watch his passage to and from the mosque he looked carefully care-fully to sec if any of tho embassadors were present. None was there, however, how-ever, as they had by common consent agreed to remain away. The usual procession attended the sultan sul-tan from the palace gate to the mosque. Prince Jiurrhcn Eddin. fourth son of the sultan, and Towfik Pasha, the grand vizier, drove in a carriage with the sultan sul-tan "s 3'oungest son, a boy of eight, who was dressed in the uniform of a Turkish Turk-ish general. Several of the sultan's wives in closed carriages drove down to the mosque in front of the sultan. Eunuchs walked beside the vehicle. Through the open windows of the carriage the spectators spec-tators caught glimpses of veiled faces. As one of tho Turkish women passed the diplomatic terrace sho called at tention of her companions to tho new Parisian hats worn by the European women. These carriages turned into the yard of the mosque, where the horses were unharnessed and the women wom-en waited while the sultan -went within for devotions. A Muezzin in the minaret of the mosque, whose wonderful voice sounded clear and solemn abovo the music of the bands and the ringing acclaims of the troops, intoned the call of prayer. After twenty minutes the sultaiu left, the mosque, entered his carriage, and tho procession made its way hack to the palace gate as it had como" The sultan appeared a few minutes later at an open window facing the approaches to the gate and bowed to shouts from the crowd of "long life, a long reign and happiness to your majesty.'' After the function, the 5000 troops dispersed, some going to their barracks in the city, while the household battalion bat-talion withdrew behind the palace walls, The pcoplo went: back to Constantinople, Constantino-ple, aud in half an hour the vicinity of the mosque was silent and deserted. |