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THE SUBLIME PO'HTE— RESIDENCE OF THE SUr.TAX OF TURKEY. 



The interview whitb we give took pluce in July, 1911, and was recorded immediuteis 

 after Mr. Stead left the Palace, remaining a unique testimony, in his own handwriting, both of 

 hia ideals for the Sultan and other Constitutional monarchs, and of the views of a sovereign who 

 has seen his Empire crumble beneath him because of a too precipitate adoption of constitutional 

 theories. The notes a-a quite unrevised. and appear just as he jotted them down for reference, 

 as w:is his invariable custom after interviewing anyone of importance. 



INTERVIEW WITH THE SULTAN. 



BY AV. T. STEAD. 



M\- intervie-.v with the Sultan was 

 much more the delivery of a message 

 to His Alaji.'sty than any catechising of 

 the Sovereign for information as to 

 opinion. The conversation began with 

 a few pleasant words of compliment 

 from the Sultan. I replied b\' express- 

 ing m\' sense of the high honour con- 

 ferred upon me by being admitted to 

 the presence of His Majesty. 



I asked Sir Loutfi, " 'Sl^y I speak 

 freely ?"" 



"Certainly," said the Chamberlain; 

 " His [Majesty desires it." 



Here, then, was the open door and 

 the wished-for opportunity " I wish to 

 congratulate His Majest}- uj^on being 

 the first of the line of Constitutional 

 Sovereigns in Turkey, to be followed, I 

 hope, by a long line of monarchs who 

 will excel in glory the greatest of their 

 predecessors." 



The Sultan brought his fingers across 

 his breast, and answered ; 



" I thank }-ou for xour good wishes. 

 1 have always desired the establishment 

 of a Constitution in Turkex', and now 

 that it is established I shall maintain 

 the Constitution." 



" In England," 1 remarked, " the posi- 

 tion of a Constitutional King is the 

 most charming in the world. For as a 

 Constitutional King he has all the glory 

 of sovereignt}' with none of the respon- 

 sibilities of the ruler. He is the one 

 man in the v,orld who is incaj^able of 

 doing anythin<T^ wrong, for he can only 

 govern through Ministers, who alone are 

 responsible for an\'thing that goes 

 wrong." 



The Sultan smiled and re])lied, " That 

 was so ; he had alwa\s understood it in 

 that sense." 



I went on : " Ma)' I venture to remind 

 Your Majest)- that even in England the 

 Monarchy was not always so popular as 

 it is to-dav. Forty \ears ago the late 

 King Edward used to say that he would 



