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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 27, 1912)
6 THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND, OCTOBER 27, 1913. -fttgtfa Sd(W Herb, c cf Wor . j WMlc j. hatWcw Ottoman fMTm - J 1 III ' V '1 V4Wtry' ' I clal Corre.pondence.) "Monsieur" bim a pension, ana ient nam nome. " J N SSCi-? 1 x - - Sharing Sport With Conmdoa. . jf tf'r.W V-r: "V T I 1 11 f -- 71 -- If 11 How Albanian Leader 'Has Success fully Led His Countrymen Against Turkish Forces He Refuses to Be Beaten and Turks Despair Story of His Tense Career. BT BERTHA SPENCERr CONSTANTINOPLE. Oct 27. (Spe cial Correspondence.) "Monsieur Iosa, de Boletlni is- overjoyed. He has at last a cbance at his ancient foe, the Turk. Be has a weakness for death, plunder, chivalry, humor and for belns; called "Monsieur"; and the accommodating- Turk In taking the field has fulfilled an ancient Issa ambition. He baa long- been rebuilding- with Jagged fllnta Its oft-battered Kulas; and sharpening his sword and his pen for this final war on the Turk. Monsieur Issa is the greatest of Alb an heroes since llfteenth-century Skander beg. Ee la bravest, noblest, most ohiv alrouo, most villainous, most vain, of Balkan warriors; and ' he knows It. When he was born on a cold March morning In 1870, his mamma foretold that he would live In blood, but die in peace. And at the age of 3, healthy Issa waa found playing In the blood of an Albanian murdered by robbers and left on the road. Thus Monsieur Issa began. " Issa's first political exploit was his vengeance on Russia's Consul, Btcher bina. Thai was nine years ago. Issa had been raising the devil in the hearts of the men and of the maids of Mlt rovitsa; and he was particularly In censed because the brown-cheeked Al bnlan maid Juihme served In Stcher blna's house. Issa threatened Mltrov Itsa. There Schamil Pasha had 12 bat talions about 7000 men and Issa had 1800. Nevertheless he threatened to at tack the town. When Stcherbina heard that Issa was talking big. and threaten, lng to abduct his servant, he requested Schamil to turn his artillery on the hills where Issa sat. The first shell went beautifully through the head of Issa's blood friend Buran. Issa saw his chance. He reminded Buran's brother that good Albanians forget no injuries. The brother stole down to Mitrovitsa; laid skillful ambush for Stcherbina; and ehot him through the head. Then M. Issa reached greatness. Ab dul Ham id, finding force no remedy, tried his usual method, bribes. He In vited Issa to Tlldez; called him flatter ingly "Monsieur"; and offered Irtm 114, 000 a year and a harem to live like a good Mussulman at Etambul. Issa re jected the $14,000 and even the harem. "I choke in cities." be said. Abdul gave him a pension, and sent him home. Sharing; Sport With Comrade. On the way to Mitrovitsa Issa, carry ing J12.000 .the biggest bribe ever seen In North Albania, was attacked by seven Greeks. His only companion was shot dead. Issa ran. The Greeks pursued. Issa reached a sheltering ravine and crouched behind a rock. He shot the foremost .Greek dead. The others made a rush together. Issa shot a second Greek dead, winged another, and got a third through the eye. The survivors fled. Issa got safely back with the $12,000, and with precious trophies revolvers, daggers and a Grecian car. He generously shared with his comrades, the $12,000, the revolvers,, and the Grecian car. Issa had vowed at Stambul to love Abdul Hamid; an'd he kept his vow. He kept It by waging war on the Young Turks. That was the cause of the Al banian revolts of 1910 and 1912. When, In April. 1910. Schefket Pasha, with 30,000 men. started from Ueskub to Werisovltsch to fight Issa, Issa cut the railway and held up all the trains. Issa defended for a week the Pass -of Kat schanlk, and retired only when threat ened by Schefket from the rear. With 11,000 men he outwitted 30,000, and got away. That is the sort of foeman the Turks must go against In the present war. At Katschanlk, Issa made his repu tation for daring and ruthlessness. When his men seemed wavering he ran onto the hlllcrest, and exposed himself. A shell ripped up his petticoat When his 13-year-old nephew tried to run away, Issa sent a volley after him, and brought him down. After Katschanlk, Issa went to Mon tenegro to brew trouo:e for the Young Turks. That was bis fourth visit He spent the Winter In Podgorltsa and agitated so fiercely among the mild Mallssoris that they rose In bloody re volt Issa rushed to Kossowo to drag his own countrymen into the fray. He was disappointed. The "Intelligence" that is, the new Nationalist party was on top. Issa threw in his lot with them and swore faithfully to defend the National cause against young Turks or old. End of Ammunition Ecrt. When Mahraud V. made his pilgri mage to Sultan Murad's grave, he Issued -as r ?r vt . 4 an amnesty. Issi Boletlni was par doned. He was asked to Ueskub and ofiered a pension. . II declined pension and pardon. "What dp you want?" asked the Turks. "Guns," said Issa. He got them, but not from the negotia tors. Three days later he attacked a Turkish ammunition train. The 80 Turks fought. They were surroun&ed. Issa offered quarter. The Turks laid down their arms. Later a foolish Turk tried to run. The captors shot They era J1 ZZZTtJczJ& ' shot till all 30 Turkish captives were dead. Issa was accused of treachery. "The guns went off by accident," he said. That Is Issa's way. Ho is a cultured humorist When fighting Schamsi Pasha, he wrote the Turk commander scented epistles In flower-embosseden- velopea; and sent them south to Kup rlll, where they were put In the ordi nary post He knew that Schamsi was a lover of ladies; and had several lady loves In Kuprili and Krushevo. The scented letters were in u&lntelllgible Albanian; and when Schamsi had them translated, he found they breathed war, not love. SeVfen times within tne last decade have the Turks shelled or blown up the Kula fortresses belonging to Issa. Issa either rebuilt them or changed the spot When his third Kula was cap tured by Schefket Pasha, the Turks found the walls of Issa's room adorned with derisive verses. They were writ ten by Issa's tame bard and blood thirsty blood-brother, the Albanized Serb, Kovitsch. Even In plain Albanian Issa Is no scholar. Tales Innumerable are told of Issa, some of them true and some of them as false as Issa's word. Were he an Englishman, he would wear a dozen Victoria crosses pinned to his broad breast; were he a German, he would be the vain owner of enough Iron Crosses to make another cannon. His forces vary in numbers, buthowever large, ther6 Is hardly a member who will not tell you that he owes his life to the quickness, the skill or the bravery of Issa Boletlni. He is the only man in the world whose name strikes terror to the heart of the fanatically brave Turk. In the minds of the Turkish soldiers he bears a charmed life, and campaigns against him are Just so much wasted time and ammunition. That Is the real reason why the Turks will not fight him If they can avoid It. Countless Turkish pounds have been spent in bribes to secure Issa's assas sination, but In vain. The Young Turks placed a price of $30,000 upon his black head, but the money lies In Salonlca unclaimed to this day. It is worth con siderably more than a mere $20,000 to brave the flashing eyes of Monsieur Boletlni, especially as there Is a large chance of the assassinator coming off second best in the encounter. Deep Wound of No Concern. As a matter of fact several attempt have been made to put an end to Issa Boletinl's mischief maKlr.g. But tha attempts have been made by light brained, Allah-loving Turks, and not by traitors within his own camp. On one occasion he was attacked from the rear and the blade of the long knife was deflected from the great heart of the Hon of Albania by a silver medal which he delignts to wear. Quickly Issa reached over and caught his assailant by the neck; cleanly and surely hi long curved sword raced home; and Issa walked to the river bank and tended the wound that had pierced hiB body much as one might tend a slightly cut finger. Issa's craze for being- addressed as "monsieur" Is a fragment of his mighty vanity. He first heard of "monsleurs" in civilized Cettinje. Issa there donned "European" clothes, paid the diplomats visits, and aspired in his mighty vanity to be a European. He ordered cards with the inscription "Monsieur Issa. de Boletlni," and gave them to diplo mats, shopkeepers, postmen and raw Montenegrin Highlanders. Also he picked up 60 words of French, which he tried to Impose on Turkish diplomats from Paris. In fact Issa is a sad, con ceited dog. But Issa's vanity Is pardonable. He Is an extraordinarily handsome man of the opera brigand type, with a fine figure, big black eyes and a lady-killing strut. He shows better in a high land petticoat than In a German slop es u It, and his gun gains him far mora respect than even his card, "Monsieur Issa." Issa does not look his two and forty years, and. please heaven, he has before him a long life of slaughter, plunder, treason, wit and G-allio polite ness. Such a man cannot have a tame career. He Is doomed to die on the gallows or In battle. h i m VT MM 1fief?effcf 4&MtMerestedJ? Comm. Section HttexAbipJlxacobVe Wit) 6q Sefe&ed. Ask the Frenchman, "Whb Will Be Your Next President?" and He Will Reply, "I Don't Know.9' President Is Mere Figure head, Who Takes Little Part in Government. AW -"'.v iv- , irk lit rr - J t . "iR? -Way ,1?- , v - ,A -v -IKS t t v s - s "" & y P' BT RXRUKO HEILIO. ARIS, Oct 26 (Speclah Correspond ence.) The . French Republic is also choosing a new President They call him a President Let It be m. lesson to us. President Fallieres goes out on Feb ruary 16. On the same day, February 16, the united Senators and Deputies (Repre sentatives) will elect a President for erven years, escort him In a vast pro cession, of automobiles from Versailles to tha French White House In Paris and put him magnificently to bed. There la no public interest Ask the average Frenchman, "Who will be your next President?" and he will answer: "Which? What? Oh, yes; It's next February.' 1 don't know." There Is no public campaign, be cause the people do nBt elect him. And any personal campaign must be very secret because tne French President Is elected in a few hours, by his breth ren, from among themselves. Antonls tubost is, of course. Indi cated. He is President of the Senate, as were Loubet and Fallleres. More and more the Influences and consider ations electing to the one office elect to the other. If the President of the Senate wants It . Dubost wants It Now aged 67, he fought Napoleon III as a giddy young Republican with Henri Rochefort, and, like Rochefort he even had a touch of communardlsm. Dubost was at Marseilles. But tranquil office-holding ever since has made htm im mensely tranquil. If he becomes Presi dent the Elysee receptions will par take of the sweet household charm of Dubost vacation evenings at La Tour-du-Pln. where. Invariably, at 8:50 P. M. the President of the Senate rises and says: "Serve the camomile!" The guests follow from porch to parlor. They sip their camomile. In variably at :10 P. M. arrives another old friend, the Registrar. "Another cup for Monsieur the Registrar," says M. Dubost. Silence! Until for a third time the voice of the President of the ; ; U : $ '4m7 1; Ji4 "4 Senate Is heard: "Let us stroll down I his energy to a sphere of more honor and watch the 9:30 express pass." and less work. But, as will be seen. But who knows? Suppose 'they want 1 the French President's rights have not a pretext to mil mm? rne agea er Senator Freycinet recently, at Vienna, was trapped into talking about Du bost s chances. "The Presidency must not become an Inheritance," said Freycinet "When Loubet was elected he happened to be President of the Senate, and Fallleres was a coincidence. But to do it again, in succession, would look like making a man President just because be Is President of the Senate." Monsieur Poincare, the energetlo and" capable Prime Minister, It is rumored, would be willing to exchange his pres ent reality of power for the honors and emoluments of President He has been governing France. Were he to be elected one might reasonably sup pose be has been chosen to remove been much exercised of late, and an energetic Chief of State might even more crowd the brethren. Paul Deschenel is the young states man who consecrated frock coat or cutaway in place of full-dress suit for morning weddings. If he Is elected it will be because he has no programme, represents no party and has friends In all. He has been a politic man and would make a "safe" and decorative President nickeled against energy and peculiarly fitted to receive and visit European sovereigns. Always supposing that Leon Bour geois does not want it Of late he had rather retired, on account of family bereavements and illnesses and it was a great event when he entered the present Poincare Cabinet In that call ing together of all good men to meet the Morocco crisis, he was the guar antee given to Radicals, who otherwise might not have rallied to such a Moder ate as Poincare. Some men get, and probably deserve, a reputation for abil ity and get the confidence of all. Leon Bourgeois Is such a shadowy enough figure, in truth, but certainly a bul wark against Conservatives. No oi seems to doubt that If he wants the Presidency he can have it. So much so that when, recently, hU son, the young doctor, tall, big, raw.boned, rough dressed and offhand, lunched with two husky friends from the Prefecture of Police at the Grand Cafe, a sprig of the Royalists simpered: "Three gen tllshommes of the court" But would Bourgeois be content to sign papers all day? What papers : xne irenca presi dent don't Jtnowc His cabinet says: .''Sign this.' signs. How do otherwise? Suppose It be an appointment. The President's own personal friends are anproviaea tor m reason. After which he must let his cabinet make the mass of the appointments. Suppose he refuses to.slgn? If the Job be import ant, there will be a little cabinet quar rel. But if he repeats, there will sure ly be a secret cabinet meeting with out the French President. Tool of the Cabinet. The cabinet's decision will be sent him "You sign these appointments, or we shall resign." Why not let them resign, you say? But the President had chosen those cabinet members exactly for their in fluence. Cannot he choose another cabinet, you say? Yes, but the Senate and House must accept it (Felix Faure could not keep the Leon Bour geois cabinet because the Senate balked.) And when, a President can not keep any pabinet, he must resign, as did Grevy and MacMahon. Suppose it be a bill. The cabinet is always proposing new laws In the President's name. Such as: "A project of law concerning the creation of hydro-mineral stations and the estab lishment of special taxes in the same, presented hi the name of Mr. Armand Fallieres. President of the French-Re- Jjmblic, by M. Poincare, President of the i Council (Cabinet), and by Mr. Holts. Minister of Finances. - Should, by extraordinary whim, the French President say: "I will not sign mis Din" ma caoinet puis tne new law through Just the same, and a little more so, not as a "project," but a "prop osition," but before it becomes valid the French President must sign it. Now should he refuse. It is the veto. Theoretically, he has the right to ve to. The constitutional laws give It to him; but the Senators and Deputies are resulved to scare him from using it. From the beginning' they have so crowded every French President that "not a single one of them, before Lou bet, Berved his term out. Loubet and Fallleres, yes; they have learned the lesson. The French President may, theoret ically, choose any one for members of his cabinet but they must be men who can swing a majority vote of the lower House. Regularly they have always been Deputies or Senators, except oc casionally war or marine. Once he has chosen his cabinet, the cabinet takes charge. The President gives them his advice, but they don't need to listen. The cabinet governs and listens only to the majority vote of Congress. It Is a system which per mits Congress not only to make laws, but run the entire country, to the transferring and even removing of Judges In moments of gravity which (Concluded on Page 7.) A