THE 8EMI-WECKLY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.
VJQK5m owner
One
npHEIR women bring flowers
Qand sweets to wounded
enemy in hospitals Nation
has conducted warfare in
a very clean-handed manner
m ii i ii ii ii II ii i mm Hi' i ii ini ii ran i i w i k mp' airzmr- ritrst Ka km
0 TI1H average American tlio Turk
Ih ii swarthy cutthroat waving n
Hcliultar, bellowing "Allah," and
wallowing In tlio hlooil of Infidel
giaours. Illntory Ih responsible for
tlio epithets "terrible" and "un
speakable" which have clung ho
tenaciously to the popular concep
tion of the Ottoman that It comes
as a rude shock to find the aver
age Turk u human being, nnd,
furthermore, decidedly "Hpenunblo." Thus writes
Theodore X. l'nclcinnn In the New York Tribune.
During the recent British campaign In Mesopo
tamia u band of Arabs, retaining all their ancient
notions of warfare, proved a thorn In the flesh of
both the English nnd Turkish forces. Hovering
about the Hunks of both
armies, they raided llrst one
sldo and then the other,
choosing opportunities for se
curing the most plunder with
the least risk to themselves.
Thoso tactics naturally
proved so annoying to both
shfos tlmt one commander
Bent his opponent the follow
ing message:
"I am thoroughly tired of
thoso Bedouin robbers and
their treachery. You must
bo also. Let us, therefore,
itmko a truco with ono an
other for two or three dnys
and meto out to tlieso Arabs
mich punishment as will put
an end to their tricks."
The author of this unusual
request was not tlio British
commnnder, hut tlio "un.
Hpenknblo" Turk I Tho Turk
who writes of this Incident
uooh not add what
"TOP" CRAVEN GOT HIS WISH
When "Top" Craven left port on
the old frigate Minnesota as n navy
ensign he crawled under- n tnrpuulln
before he was out of sight of land to
die in pence. At the end of tho second
day ho was still under tho tarpaulin
nnd considerably disappointed because
the Minnesota had not gone down. A
friendly officer looked In upon him
from time to time.
i "Is there anything you want?"
asked the officer.
"You bet there is," moaned "Top."
"I want a good big hole on dry land to
crawl into."
Today the brilliant thatch which
ignve him his. nicknnine has mostly dis
appeared anil he Is lovingly called "Old
Man" Craven. He alts in a great office
on the nineteenth floor of 154 Nassau
street and pores over plans and speci
fications which are to give New York
city Its dual subway system, tho great
est underground transit system in the
world. At last "Top" Craven got his wish. He now hns n "hole on dry land
to crawl Into," several of them, in fact, nnd when they aro completed they will
bo the largest and tho longest in the world.
Alfred Craven is chief engineer of the New York public service commis
sion and draws a salary of ?20,000 n year, the highest remuneration payed to
any public -official In the state of New York.
After graduating from private school in Bound Rock, N. J., at seventeen,
Craven secured a congressional appointment nt the United States Naval
academy, which was then temporarily located nt Newport, R. I., owing to the
Civil war. He wan graduated as ensign and six years later promoted to tho
rank of master, having been presented by congress with a service mcdnl.
lie then resigned nnd Joined the state geological survey of California.
When this survey was completed he took up tho study of Irrigation and devised
plans which later helped to make the Sacramento nnd Snu Joaquin valleys
more fertile and productive. Later he Joined the miners at Virginia City as
un engineer, which proved decidedly profitable.
OUR WITTY VICE PRESIDENT
- - g a. mrr ! iww i -
aiiHwer
was given, but It Is safe m
say that such a sporting proposition could not bo
turned down by n true Britisher.
From tho very entrnneo of Turkey Into this
world war -a step repulsive to a people already
heartily sick of being drafted into (he ranks
tho English press has taken u different attitude. to
ward their Turkish foes tlmn It has toward tho
Teutons. A gleaning of tho leading periodicals
rovenls countless Incidents of tho Turks' chiv
alry as fighters and above-board methods when
not under tho direct observation of their German
officers.
"I have such admiration for tho Turks," wrote
a British officer serving In Mesopotamia to tho
London Morning Post," February 7, "tho pukka
Turks, I mean, not tho Kurdish savages who
butcher Armenians or tho Bagdad Turco-Arabs,
that 1 wonder moro and more how they over
camo Into tlio war at all. They did a thing after
ntoslphon that commands recognition.
"A hnrgolond of UOO of our wounded stuck In
the mud, nnd with somo medical personnel on
hoard had to be abandoned. Tho Turks towed
tho barge downstream, and under cover of the
white ting sent tho whole lot. Including the medi
cal personnel, back to thu British camp unharmed
In uny way.
"I know of two wounded British officers loft
out tho night after the battle who were found by
the Turks, in both rases tho Turks took uway
'all their equipment, haversack, belt, revolver, pa
pers and Held glasses, buMiorh men say they
were not harmed In any way. In the case of ono
man they gavo him water to drink, loosened his
coat and made him moro comfortable. They left
both for our people to collect tho next morning.
It la tho Arabs who maltreat our wounded and
commit all sorts of atrocities."
Recent dispatches from that far distant front
so brief as to escape general notice have dis
closed the same attitude between tho lines of
tho meager official reports. After tho fall of
Kul-el-Ainnra thoTurklsh commander gavo General
Townshond hack his sword. Later reports an
nounced the exchange of disabled prisoners, sug
gested by the Turks'
From another thoater of tho war where tho
Turku have been lighting conies tho Htory of an
Incident or the common soldier's attitude. In a
letter published In the London Times of February
8 a British officer wrote from Snlonlkl:
"Imagine this war I Sumo of our peoplo went
out on a reconnolssance In front of tho lino whore
there were a number of Turks. Tho latter wore
is rourteous as possible and showed them tho
host places for geese and helped to stalk thoinl"
From the Uulllpoll peninsula, however, Imvo
come (lie m)t lull'" "f Hi" Individual bravery und
ular feeling against the
British when the under
lying sentiment hns tend
ed dangerously against
Ccrmnn y's aspirations.
One preposterous news
story related In great de
tail how, during tho Turk
ish feast of Ualram. the
Turkish troops th row
cigarettes over Into the
British trenches, and how
tho British retaliated by
throwing back smokes
which would explode and
Injure the faces of the
Moslem troops.
Tho writer remembers
tho startling dispatches
to tho press In the Turk
ish capital during tho first
Balkan war. In the week
tlmt tho Bulgarians
pushed tho Turks back to
Here is Vice President Marshall's
latest hon mot: In the course of the
senate proceedings one morning he
called for a vote on an amendment that
was of such a routine nature that no
senator had enough interest in it to go
to tho bother of expressing himself.
"All In favor please vote aye,"
said Marshall.
And nobody said aye.
"All opposed say nay," directed
Marshall.
And nobody said nay.
"Very well," ruled Marshall, quick
ly, "the vote Is a tie. The vice presi
dent votes aye. The ayes have it."
Mr. Marshall ush1 to bo a news
paper owner and editor. Tho other
day nn old newspaper friend from In
diana was visiting tho vice president,
and In showing the Indlanan about,
Mr. Marshall took him Into the press
gallery of the senate. The vice presi
dent looked around to sec if there
were any of the boys lie knew, and, recognizing one, he presented his Indlaua
friend.
"Do you think you can qualify as a newspaper man so as to register your
friend?" tho vice president was asked.
"Qualify, eh?" Qualify," ejaculated Mr. Marshall, "my paper was sued for
F20.000 libel once."
MRS. WILSON RESOURCEFUL
Possibly because of her successful
courtesy of tho Turk as a lighting man. A dozen
Instances could be mentioned. Truces were sug
gested by tho Turks to allow both sides to bury
their dead ; a dozen more of occnslons where Rod
Cross Hags and flugs of truco were carefully re
spected. When the Turks were plunged Into the war by
tho Germans English business men of fighting ngo
In Constantinople Immediately offered their serv
ices to the king, although on amicable relations
with tho Turks. In ono Instanco ono of theso
Englishmen, who was assigned to tho fleet at
the Dardanelles as Interpreter with tho rank of
lieutenant, wns sent forward to meet a Turkish
officer advancing under a flag of truce.
Imaglno tho lieutenant's surprise to find the
Turkish officer ono of his respected friends of
Constantinople. Tho truco quickly arranged, they
chatted for a few moments, and whllo tho lieu
tenant was returning to his lines n stray shrnp
nol burst near til in. The next day a profuso apol
ogy for tho accident reached him from the "un
spenknblo" Turk.
The Now- Zealand and Australian forces, them
selves no amateurs at the game of lighting from
nnturnl cover, found much to learn from tho
Turks, who iih Individuals showed great Ingenu
ity and sportsmanship In their ruses. Often a
Turk, completely disguised as a bush or a small
tree by tying greens about htm, picked off many
a Tommy beforo the game was discovered.
At one point In the An.ac region a Turkish
sniper was giving the English some trouble, and
an Irishman, who was a good shot was told off
to deal with him. For the next few minutes the
two, at no great distance, took turns In trying
to account for each other.
At last tho Turk wounded the Irishman. Then
those who wore watching tho miirksmnnsh'p con
test saw tho Turk creep cautiously from his shel
ter, leaving Ms rifle behind him. He crossed tho
space to his enemy and assisted him In binding
up his wounds from thu emergency kit with which
each British soldier Is supplied, Then the two
men shared a drink of water and some smokes
and the Turk crept hack to his trench.
It Is n long, long way from tho Turk "set in au
thority" and entering Into pactH with Germany to
the simple-minded Individual sitting cross-legged
in a colTcchuuso smoking a nargllo reclining
by his "sweet waters," making kef or even fight
ing a war In the trenches for a cause In which
ho himself Is sure to lose, no matter which sldo
wins.
The Turkish government, withal, Is vile. Amer
ican residents In Constuntlnoplo during the con
flict have found tho native newspapers full of
officially Inspired articles designed to stir up pop-
son is mighty quick-witted, resourceful
nnd self-reliant. She gave a little ex
hibition of these qunlltles tho other
day whllo out shopping. When she
entered n modiste's shop on Connec
ticut avenue she forgot to put on tho
brakes In her electric machine.
While Mrs. Wilson was trying on a
hat, a salesgirl, looking through a win
dow, exclaimed:
"Oh. there Is an auto running
loose down tho street."
Mrs. Wilson dropped tho hut, left
the shop on the run nnd Jumped Into
the electric, which wns rapidly gain
ing momentum ,us it rolled away.
Mrs. Wilson quickly stopped the
car, whirled It about and brought It
to u stop In front of the shop. After
carefully adjusting the brakes, she re-
Tvhntnlillu. the totnl num-
, , ., . .wivnnced by tho Turks In the business enreer, possibly because she
ber "fW'"" the Turkish was born that way. Mrs. WOodrow Wll-
news uiximuiii'a ui..v .
army somewhere In Scandinavia.
"No nation could possibly huvo conducted war
fare on a more nboveboard and cleim-luinded man
ner than tho Turks." said Norman Wilkinson tho
i.'.,iiui, ..-tint nftor n visit to Galllpoll. "A thou
sand pities that tho Turks should have been guilty
of such Hendlsh nets us the Armenlun massacres;
for had It not been for this tho Turk would have
emerged from this trlnl with n character from
which the stain of lust ami crueuy mm uci.- c
fectlvely removed."
Visitors to the hospitals of Constantinople have
been almost mobbed by slightly wounded soldiers
in ttmir oniorncss to share tho wild flowers
brought In from tho banks of the Bosporus. When
tho flowers are distributed the Inevitable cigarettes
come next.
If no other Incident could bo cited to banish tho
ihMpoMvo "unsnenkablo" In connection with the
Turk, the following relnted by an American who cnteml tho shop
served In a Turkish Hospital wouiu huiucu:
"A vomit Australian of twenty, with n nasty
shrapnel wound In the thigh, chanced to ho the
only Britisher placed In a TiirKisu nnspuui ui
Beylerbey, on the Asiatic snore or me wispum.
As tho news of this lone English-speaking boy Al
tered through the native village, the old hanoums
tho elder women outdid themselves In visiting
the lad and bearing him flowers and sweets
"Perhaps he has a mother In England who Is
waiting for hm," wns the remark or ono or mem.
So much attention was given tho Australian that
the other wounded In the hospital took to groaning
tromenduusly whenever visitors would enter. In
Mm lintiit lit ii itriictlmr'nnrt of the attention. Of
course, their motive was evident, for the wounded
Turk Ih tho last man In the world to give way to
his feelings under pain.
"The Turkish doctor In charge, was actually too
kind' to tho lad. for In his sollcltudo to remove
every fragment of tho shrapnel he kept opening
the wound every few dnys, until tho boy could
stand It no longer itt.d succumbed.
"lie was burled with full mllltury honors, and,
after the Turkish custom, tho coffin was borne
upon the shoulders of a squad for fully tlvo miles
from Boylerhey to tho Kngllsh cemetery at llal
dar Pachn. There, beneath tho cypresses that
shelter the Kngllsh troops killed In tho Crimean
war men whom Florence Nlghtlngnlo could not
c.ivnttiov laid tho Australian nway. Rev. Rob-
"I'll try that hat on again, now," smiled the first lady of tho land to tho
salesgirl.
WHEN BROUSSARD WAS KING
, I... l.liirrlll, tuiutfir holnvnil nlllfft hV I k ...iiiin ni.A i., ,
en i i m- ..."... - -. u niuuK iu lunii uji MiiKiug us u permanent occuput on. But he did not wish
the Turks and British, rend the burial service. to butt ,n on theIr revoluUon So , u , t unostent,lt 0ls ' " " .
Tho lad had a Christian funeral, with a company hu throne, hung up his crown on the h.'t tUiSZi
M.wh loops us a guard of honor.' uis way across the country' border, lea tag his entire kingdom flat on its bVek.
Sejiutor Robert F. Broussard of
Louisiana Is tho only United States
senntor who has ever served as king
of Honduras.
Uroussard used to spend a great
deal of time In Central America, and
once ho happened to be n guest at tho
palace of Honduras when there oc
curred oue of thoso fascinating llttlo
Central Amerlcnn revolutions, such as
huvo popularized a great many of our
busiest writers of adventure fiction.
Tho ruler thnt Uroussard was vis
iting was driven from the palace, but
the revolutionists, were unable to In
stall the new ruler they had picked for
tho job. So It was agreed by tho two
factions that Bob Broussord, so long as
ho was right there on hand, should act
as a sort of king pro tempore.
Uroussard, however, did not lean
much toward the king business under
tho circumstances. He was free to ad
mit that with conditions right ho might