214 WORLD-POWER AND EVOLUTION 



to some higher standards? The Greeks of the coast and the 

 Armenians of the interior succeed better than the Moslems, but 

 even they succeed very poorly according to the standards of the 

 world's advanced nations. Their Christianity helps them. 

 Moreover, I am inclined to think that they inherit greater mental 

 powers than do the Turks, who come of a long line of nomadic 

 ancestors. Even so, however, they suffer from a sort of inertia 

 which prevents them from sticking long to a new attempt. More- 

 over, they are not notable for self-control. More than one 

 thoughtful Armenian has said to me: "It is useless for us to talk 

 about self-government. No half dozen of us can agree. We all 

 want to run things our own way, and no one is willing to submit 

 to the majority. If we governed ourselves we would not be much 

 better off than under the Turks, except when the Turks start 

 massacres." The Greeks are similar. Is there not a saying "Five 

 Greeks, five generals"? Athens swarms with half-educated men 

 whose one thought in life is to talk and argue, and ultimately to 

 obtain office. 



It is easier to describe the weaknesses of the Turkish Empire 

 than to agree upon their causes. These begin with misgovernment, 

 lack of education, and the absence of high religious ideals. 

 Important as these are, however, I pass them by. Again let me 

 insist that I by no means underrate these things. Good govern- 

 ment, sound education, and high ideals are absolutely essential. 

 The question is merely whether they are fruits or roots. Are the 

 people of the Turkish Empire inert, weak-willed, self-indulgent, 

 cruel, and stupid because of their government, education, and 

 religion? Or are they misgoverned, ignorant, and superstitious 

 because of their own lack of energy and will-power? The case 

 of the Turkish Empire today apparently resembles that of Rome 

 in the second century except that it is far worse. 



The climatic conditions which seem to lie at the bottom of much 

 of the trouble in Turkey produce profound economic results. For 

 example, we have spoken of the Kurds of Dersim, and of the 



