Excerpt
The peace negotiations have not made very much progress during the past week.
Turkey has announced to the Powers that she holds that Thessaly belongs to her by right of conquest, and she is not willing to give it up.
But the Powers are determined to allow only a sum of money as a war indemnity, and a rearrangement of the frontier whereby Turkey will gain certain strategic points.
The Sultan has again asked the Emperor of Germany to help him to secure Thessaly, but William has declined to interfere in the matter, and has advised the Sultan to obey the wishes of the Powers.
The Czar of Russia has also written to the Sultan, urging him to accept the conditions offered, and not delay the negotiations by making demands on Greece which it will be impossible for her to accept.
The delay in the peace negotiations is causing considerable alarm in Europe.
It seems that the Sultan's main object in writing to Germany and Russia has been to gain time.
It is thought that he hopes the Powers will disagree and leave him free to do as he pleases.
If, however, they still remain as firm as they are at present, he thinks the delay may give time for the Mohammedans to calm down.
These people are now so excited over the success that has attended the Turkish arms, that it is feared they will revolt against the Sultan if he agrees to give up Thessaly.
We told you about the visit of the Sheik ul Islam to the Sultan.
These Sheiks are very powerful persons. It is perhaps a little difficult to make you understand just how powerful they are, living as you do in a country where such conditions do not exist.
The Sheiks are leaders of numerous tribes of people to whom their word is absolute law, and whom they command as entirely as a father commands his children, and for the reason that the tribesmen are in a measure the children of the Sheik.
In the olden times family life was much stronger and closer than it is to-day. The father of a family would continue to govern the affairs of his sons after they had grown up and married and had families of their own. Until his death, the father would be the ruler of his own group of relatives, and when he was gone, his eldest son would become the head of the family in his place.
As the grandchildren grew up and raised sons and daughters of their own, the family would grow larger; but, while all obeyed their own fathers, they also obeyed the rulings of the head or chief of the family.
It was the plan of leadership that we read of in the Bible—the patriarchal system, as it was called.
The clans of the Highlands of Scotland are formed in a similar manner. A member of a clan is simply a relative, a person of the same blood and family as the head of the clan, and according to their custom he obeys the commands of his chieftain.
In ancient times, when a Highland chieftain went to war, he had the right to call on every man in the clan to join him. None who were able to answer the call ever thought of refusing.
In the East to-day the patriarchal system prevails as strongly as ever. The Sheiks or Chiefs are the rulers of the people, and can control and command them as they please....