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The Review of Reviews. 



the personal characteristics of the 

 Turkish soldier which had before been 

 so much admired, and the fact that 

 allowance had not been made for the 

 ethnical, religious, and social circum- 

 stances. 



Amongst these circumstances there 

 may be included the strict Prussian 

 military regulations which were intro- 

 duced into the Turkish army, so that 

 the only thing that the Turkish soldier 

 of to-day has not got is the pointed 

 helmet. As a consequence, the Turk, 

 without having become a Prussian 

 soldier, has ceased to be a good Turkish 

 soldier. 



The Turkish soldier had previously 

 considered his officer as a friend and a 

 good comrade, who shared his tent and 

 scanty fare with him. To-day he finds 

 himself pitted against the so-called 

 " MiktebU " officer— that is, the officer 

 trained in the schools, who, as a con- 

 sequence of his higher education, does 

 not consider the soldier as a friend and 

 brother any longer, but as an inferior. 

 The cordial intercourse of olden times 

 between the private and the officer has 

 been from this fact entirely destroyed. 

 Next to this factor, the neglect of 

 religious matters had an influence on 

 the Turkish army. For the Turk war 

 is not a political or social duty, but a 

 religious commandment, which he con- 

 siders as a sacred matter. The Turk 

 has before his eyes the saying of the 

 Koran," Who dies for God's sake re- 

 ceives the highest reward." Now, the 



Turkish soldier of to-day sees on his 

 side in the fighting ranks the Christian 

 warrior, the Christian who has nothing 

 to do with the Koran, and who, as it 

 was ascertained a short time ago, paints 

 a cross with chalk on his fez so that the 

 Bulgarian might recognise in him a co- 

 religionist. Under these circumstances 

 it is impossible to require from the 

 Turkish soldier, who is besides insuffi- 

 ciently fed and piteously clothed, that 

 standard of valour and endurance in 

 which he had previously distinguished 

 himself. In short, when Turkey com- 

 menced war she went blindfold into 

 sure perdition. Already during the 

 Turkish manoeuvres which took place 

 shortly before the outbreak of the war 

 the army had to complain of want of 

 food and ammunition, and at the seat 

 of war these complaints were again 

 made in a stronger proportion and with 

 a much greater importance. Whatever 

 may be the turn of things, Turkey has 

 now lost her possessions in Europe, and 

 as these possessions have always been 

 for Turkey an unnecessary ballast, she 

 will be able to easily stand the loss if 

 she can collect her forces in Asia and 

 rectify the mistakes made. It is of the 

 greatest importance for Europe that 

 every possibility should be offered to 

 the Turks to recover and re-establish 

 themselves in Asia, as, except the Turks 

 themselves, no Mussulman Power and 

 no Mussulman people are able to 

 found and maintain a Government in 

 Asia. 



