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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 29, 1914)
THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAN, PORTLAND, NOVE3IBER 29, 1914. fig: TP BY RICHARD G. COKOVER. The sword is the key of heaven and of fcell. A drop of blood shed In the cause of God, a night spent in arms, is of more avail than two months of fasting and prayer. Whoever falls in battle, his sins are forgiven. (Turkish battle incentive from the Koran.) JUDGE the battling possibilities of the Turkish soldier by five martial centuries of the Janizary. You must do this to appraise the war value of the Sultan's fighters in comprehen sive entirety. Moslem valor reached its apex In the accomplishments of this Ideal w arrior of Islam, and not since Murad IV, the last of the army lead ing Sultans of Turkey killed with his own hand a gauntlet-casting giant of the Persians, at the siege of Bagdad In 1639, has there been a noteworthy victory epoch under the banner of star and crescent. But they who measure military performance sagely declare the fighting spirit of the soldier of Turkey is dormant, not dead. For the Sultan's battler has not failed altogether to prove his mettle during the last three centuries. Twice of recent years he has performed with his old-time brilliancy, vigor and pluck. Gallantly he drove the Russian before film at the defense of Sillstria, at the outbreak of the Crimean war. And Europe rang with plaudits when, under Osman Pacha, at the siege of Plevna In 1877, he showed there was plenty of busky "fightality" in him. But not often has he been victor Elnce his decadence first began, and tils defeats seldom have earned him the eolace of praise that often goes to the valiant vanquished. His triumphs most ly have been what the world has deemed massacres and persecutions, In Balkan and Grecian territory, where he has fought with overwhelming odds In his favor. Still, apart from this, almost every expanding nation of Europe dur ing the last 100 years has taken a whack at him and found him willing to fight. Near the seraglio in Constantino ple there may have been a bluffer and diplomatic faker under the ruling fez, but on the firing line the Turkish sol dier meant business and met death bravely. The Janizary fighter represented the standing army of Turkey from the time his famous organization was created by Sultan Orkhan In 1356 until its tragic annihilation by Sultan Mahmoud II In 1826. Ottoman glory and Ottoman shame were due to his sword very often during these centuries. The glory was won on many famous battlefields and in the conquest and -annexation of terri tory. The shame attended palace re bellions, where Sultans were deposed and murdered according as the Janizary fighting machine desired. They were a counterpart descendant of the famous Praetorian Guard that made and un made many a Roman emperor. And, curiously enough, for 300 years not a single Janizary was a native born Turk. This- crack corps, upon which the fate of the Ottoman empire so often depended, was formed and con tinued during the years 1356 to 1656 by enrolment of boys of the best physique from Christian families of conquered countries. Not a single Turkish youth ,. was admitted to the renowned corps un til Mollammed IV altered its exclusive ness by a racial promulgation. He de creed in 1656 that no more Christian children were to be adued to the organi zation, the recruits being restricted to the offspring of former Janizaries and Moslem appointees. The Christian boys enrolled In the corps were taken very young and added at the exact rate of 1000 every year. They were forced to become Moslems. Their training as soldiers was very se vere. Discipline, fortitude, endurance and spirit were inculcated with the vigor and rigor of the ancient Greeks. They were kept constantly at martial exercises from their tenderest years. They were allowed no rewards in land or territorial connection. Their skill In the profession of arms procured x them rapid advancement. This great corps, cut off from all kindred, pos sessed a strong community of Interest, and they became the pride, the pet and the scourge of the empire, according to circumstance. In time of war other Turkish troops were of course added to the army, but the Janizaries were the flower of the Sultan's forces. It was at the fateful siege and fall of Constantinople May 29, 1453, that the Turk reached the most famous point of his fighting history and the Janizary his greatest glory. For 53 days artil lery hammered at the double walls of the doomed city, until at last they were a heap of ruins. History has it that 31 Janizaries were the first to mount the outward fortifications. They were SO picked soldiers of the famous corps, headed by one Hassan, a Janizary of gigantic strength and stature. Scimitar in ono hand and buckler in the other, 'this ideal of the fighting Turk pressed toward one of the breaches made by Mohammed's cannon. Eighteen Jani zaries perished before they had fol lowed Hassan 50 feet. Onward the re mainder of the band pressed through the battered breach and up to the sum mit of the inner fortifications. There a swarm of the besieged seized the giant Janizary and hurled him from the ram parts. He rose -on one knee and again rushed up the death-swept slope. An avalanche of darts and stones buried him and his few. followers not already elain. But the picked band of 31 had ehown that a successful assault might be made at this fatal point, and. within a few minutes a dozen companies of Janizaries covered the walls and tow ers. From there, heading the common army, they rushed through the breaehes of the inner walls and were soon in the city's center. Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, thus fell 1000 years after Rome and the empire of the West, dating from the Caesars. Sultan Mohammed himself rode his War steed as close as possible to the assaulting point, and with iron mace in hand, surrounded by the Janizaries that he reserved for decisive occasions, directed and impelled the battle. , As assault after assault failed and the outer ditch was filled with Turkish dead he gave the word to the com mander of the chosen corps. The Janizaries drew themselves up, flashed their scimitars and with Invincible ranks pressed to victory. Hassan and his 30 begged the first dash at the wall. The honor was grumblingly ac corded them and the Byzantine capital Jell. At the battle of Maritza, fought in 1364, the Janizary gave an excellent account of himself. The Turks were scattered over a wide rang of terri- riNG QUALITIES TURK L V- : , Siege of Constantinople. Ancient Oraw mg of a World Disturbing Event. tory adjacent to the Maritza River and an expedition comprising Hungarian. Servian, Bosnian and Wallachlan armies advanced on him in numbers of at least two to one. But the Chris tians, assured of victory, spent the night before the battle in revelry at which they were surprised. It was the first encounter between Turk and Slav. Hand to hand combats were the order of the conflict, and again the Janizaries outfought their enemies. Thousands fled on foot to escape their dread pursuers and perished In the Maritza. Again, at the battle of Kosovo, the soldier of Turkey, led by the famous trained corps, inflicted an overwhelm ing defeat upon Serbs, Bosnians, Poles and Magyars, June 15, 1389. The Christians gave ground at noon and were pursued by the Janizaries and Sultan Murad I himself, brandish ing a mighty iron mace and felling all who opposed him. In the moment of victory a Servian warrior, Milcsh Kobilovich, gained access to Murad's tent and plunged a dagger in the Sultan's body. He was torn to pieces by the victorious Janizaries returning from their chase of the defeated allies. In 1394 all of Christian Europe ar rayed itself against Islam. At the bat tle of Nicopolis, fought September 24, 1396, the Turk defeated all of the na tions pitted against him, and the Jani zary demonstrated that he, indeed, was the pick and the ideal of all Turkish fighting men.' At this battle a corps of French knights charged the Sultan's front, driving in his outer lines. They did not know it was always a Turkish practice to place the weakest troops in the van. Hacking right and left, the chivalry of France rode over the bodies of those they , had cut down until they reached the .Janizaries, whose corps formed the front line of the main army of 40,000 lances. Immediately they were enveloped and cut to pieces. At the battle of Angora between the Turks and Timur, or Tamerlane, "the Tartar" who, by the way, was also a Turk and a leader of Turkish fighters in 1402, Sultan Bayezid, of Bajazet I, was utterly defeated, only the Jani zaries and a Servian contingent giving any good account of themselves. The Sultan was taken prisoner and carried about in a trimuph pageant in a barred litter. Again at the battle of Varna, fought November 1-0, 1444, the soldier of Turkey proved his bravery. At first the Serbs, Hungarians and Bosnians were, successful and Sultan Murad II turned his horse to retire from the field. One of his commanders implored him to fight the battle out. He had wavered but a moment, how ever, and be urged his Janizaries to one more supreme effort. They won the day. their leader cutting off the Kins of Hungary's head and carrying it on his lance to mark a rallying point. The next noteworthy fighting of the soldier of Turkey was at the battle of Chaldrlan, 1514, In which a Persian army was decisively defeated. The chief commander of the Janizaries, Sinan Pacha, induced the Sultan Selim I to feint for delay rather than go im mediately into battle after a march across the desert. When the battle was on he purposely retreated, tempting the Persians into a fatal pursuit. The Jani zaries held them -until they opened ranks and revealed their artillery, which played upon the advancing army with great slaughter. History records no battle record more interesting than the defeat of the cele brated .fighting Mamelukes of Egypt by the Janizaries of Selim I. Both corps had a proud record and a high spirit. In many a sanguinary field they had been victors. At the battle of Reydan iya, in 1517, the two bodies met. The Mamelukes mistook the Janizary chief Sinan Pacha for the Sultan, cut their way to him and speared him to death. But this splendid cavalry foe was over whelmed by Janizaries, backed by Sellm's artillery. Egypt fell into the hands of Turkey. . In 1522 Suleyman, or Soloman I, the Magnificent, besieged and took Rhodes after severe fighting in which ,at close range the Turkish soldier performed many heroic deeds. Belgrade had been taken in a preliminary campaign. Then the Sultan found his intentions with re . spect to arranging the administration of his kingdom were not to be easily carried out because of the Janizaries. They liked not peace. War and booty they muts have. So they began to mutiny. ' The Sultan tried a bold course at first, slaying two of the leaders of the insurrection with his own hands. But he had to pacify them with a large bribe and a declaration of war againBt Hungary. So In August 29, 1526, the battle of Mohacs was fought between Turkey and Hungary. The Sultan won and through the victory of his soldiers Hungary became a Turkish province for 140 years. After several unsuccessful at tempts to take Vienna, Suleyman, the Magnificent, died in his tent during a battle, leaving his kingdom at the very pinnacle of its grandeur and prosperity. After him came martial decay, princi pally because the personal courage and 4 1 rA' W: xyv 4f kH Suleyman on the Ruler as Drawn fe ------- .rd) valiant spirit that had characterized all lty. The Grand Viziers did most of the of the Sultans from the founding of the leading or the ordering of the move empire were not to be found in his sue- ments of the Turkish soldier. The Sul cessors. The very nature of the nation tans stayed at home. The Turk fought demanded unusual wisdom and energy to Insure Is continuance. The Janizaries lost their fighting character and could not be trusted to wage war as of old. They were more open to bribes. They were not in-' structed in the new war tactics em- ployed by other nations they encouni It was Mahmoud II who took this most tered. ) radical step in defiance of all Turkish Their commanders were no longer, tradition. The Janizaries had got be appointed through merit. Their Sultans, yond control. They had deposed and no longer led them to battle. Before their final dissolution, however, there came one or two gleams of former g!,ory to brighten the darkness of deca dence. Murad III was the last fighting: Sultan to lead the soldier of Turkey against the enemy. In the ninth year of his reign there was a mutiny of the Jani zaries. They demanded the head of his Grand Vizier and 16 others. He was in a "tight box" and forced to order the slaying of hla chief aids. When he waa. able to resume his authority he gath ered some loyal troops and soon the Bosphorus tossed on its tide the bodies of hundreds of Janizaries. The Sultan himself walked the streets, often carry ing out his own death sentences. In 1638 Murad marched to retake Bagdad, recovered by the Persians after its cap ture of some years before.' The garrison made a desperate resistance, but Murad led in person and stood guard in the trenches. The Janizaries, shamed or enthused by his example, performed old time prodigies of valor. The Persians sent out a burly champion to taunt and defy the besiegers. History has it that Murad clove him from crown to chin. The chain armor he wore Is still pre served in Constantinople. Bagdad fell, to remain in Turkish hands to modern days. At the head of his Janizaries Murad entered Constantinople amid the shouts of his people. The next year, at the age of 28, the last warrior Sultan died. From here on calamity follows calam- FIGHTING IRISHMEN FORGET HOME TROUBLES AND GO TO THE FRONT Continued From Pafce 3.) that the duty of volunteers was to de- fend the shores of Ireland. Redmond's reply to that was that the most effective way to defend the shores of Ireland was to seek out the enemy before he reached those shores and de- . . . . . . T . .. xeat mm Deiore ne naa an opportunity to turn Galway Into and Dublin into anot second Louvain and Dublin into another Brussels. The malcontents were Joined by the small but noisy Sinn Fein Partv. which in- UonaJ volunteers, is In communication Redmond, I am told, has another H sought refuge with tho Knights of eludes a number of doctrinaire aclf- with Lord Kitchener on this point and scheme up his sleeve which ought to Rhodes. Then began an imprisonment lcists, and what is left of the old Ir- tnero ls every likelihood that It will be go far to make these county regiments the Prince, in which he waa trans reconcilable physical force party, .-n,f.1.nrilv softly hrnr this is r.nm.ir Th.i , tn na tar- ferred from one Euronean noint tn r . whose hatred of England will last as long as they draw breath. stiffening of trained men for the new and Anglo-Irish families In each dls- brother, who feared his return to Con When, it came to a show down, how- recrults jn eacn regiment, but It has trlct. Thus In Tyrone we would see stantinople. He was finally poisoned, ever, the weakness of this group was been susgested that this might be over- O'Neills and Hamiltons leading the Ty- To this day his prowess is sung, exposed. The whole committee consists come Dy allowing the regular army re- rone regiments. In Donegal there would So ls the story of Roxelana still told, of 60 members and only six of them 4 i Aanu . n nn th. ka rt'-nnnnATio . v. 1. cha who tha 'iava n n .. , voted against Redmond. When the news of the reorganization we ent through the country every local com mlttPA with wr uTMntlnim voted to ,.. . r support iieamona and tne mo wno om not, voted to remain neutral. bo far irisn army on county lines. There are Anglo-Irish officers, in addition to the while Governor of Carman ia had there is no news of any difference of iQ countIea and county boroughs in Ire- brotherhood of the battlefield among fought valorously against the prov opinion among the rank and file of the land an(J each of them u hag been suff the men would do more to, wipe out lnces it became neCessary to subdue at word from" their leaders when and how to join. One question that remains to be set- War Path. The Famous in the Olden Time. hard at Vienna, but unavailingly. At the battle of Zenta, against the Aus trian!!, in 1697, 20,000 Turkish' soldiers were slain and 10,009 drowned. But they fought gamely. Then came the final ringing down of the curtain on the famous Janizaries- murdered Ahmed III, who ascended the throne In 1703. They forced Selim III to abdicate after his ascension in 1789 had not brought advantage to them. His successor reigned only a few months ' because of their power. They had fallen from their high military plane. So bigoted and jealous of their privilege's had they become that revolt was looked for over night If they got peeved. Mahmoud II . sized them up exactly and determined to get rid of them. He had a Master of Ordnance whose prcper name was Ibrahim, but who was more commonly called Kara Gerennin or Black Hell. To him Murad whispered what he wished done. The Janizaries were ordered out for drill and reView. The hour didn't suit them, so they up set their camp kettles, which was their hurry call to revolt. But Mahmoud un furled the Sacred Standard of the Prophet, called on all true believers to assemble near him, and told Black Heir to belch. ' Hundreds of Janizaries fell and the re mainder of the corps retreated to the barracks. Black Hell pointed his can non at them some 6000 men in all and blew the building to bits. Those who did not perish in this way fled to the streets and were killed by exas perated civilians. Thus in a few hours passed the historical corps whose deeds are intertwined with the battl9 history of all Europe and Northern Africa. This was in June, 1826. Immediately a new army was raised tied is the form of organization. The men are anxious to be enrolled in ter- iltorial regiments so that they will be fihtinK side Dy alde with thelr friends . , ...... .. .. . . cully aDOUt tnls m lne &outn ana "esl than In the case of the Ulster Volun- t ,. . " t.Qin. an n-ri Pnlnnal VTanrlrA " " - " --.r. '-'""'""o"'. rctisi la finmmanillnv nfflAc ef tha X'a- before this is nrinted. The difficuitv is to nrovide a arm.y. and fill their places later with th. wm thv ,v ,ir,H , train. t . iL ttciua iiiau uio oiiueiiio m be adopted will be to organize the new se&ted. should be capable of providing two regiments. It is proposed to use the county rivalry aa an aid to recruit- Mohammed II- Who Lett an Impress on Turkish History as a Conqueror. "f ST 11 X .."V .4, ,f , ii N9 Janizary. The Type of Soldier Who Made and Unmade Sultans. and equipped to the number of 40, 000, according to European idsas. Mah moud himself started to learn the art when Lord Byron romantically es poused the cause of the successors of the ancient dwellers in Athens and Sparta. The naval battle of Navarino and a Russian army brought double defeat to the Sultan, despite his mili tary reforms. , Greece was wrested from him forever. But the moulding over of the soldiers of Turkey continued. German in- . , , Z .1. called liu No less a personage than the late Field Marshal von Moltke was one of those who came all the way from Prussia to teach the art of drill and war. Turkey, however, began to be called the ."Sick Man of Europe." Her soldiers fought when their coun try got in difficulty, but the animus to victory was not there. Once in a ing. Each county will start with the "first regiment" Thus we will have the First Dublins. Lh.e Flrst Segals, the First Corks, the irst lyrones ana so on, ana as soon as tne rlrst regiment in a county, is completed It will start raising a second. w,r. i. v,i .' " ... . . -" "oops win De Brigaded togetner, or . - .. , . "n. "ne w" . " wnicn an irisnmen are equally proua. - - - noon In r. That i tn nnssthle ntflrcr, frnm tha pmst Irish nles and in Limerick a Sarsfleld might command a regiment In County Down .i . , . . ,.J laauo oi mo irwu. irai ue aihuuh, orancn ana no miB"i fight side by Bide with a Castlereaga. Such a mixture of native Irish and dred years of eloquent talk. Ireland niay yet have to thank the Kaiser for making her a united country. 9 K 3. x v- I; ' vr A. A h r I 9 ka I. ... of war studying trench tactics ana c eed f declare war A Serv. other point of the compass uniforming himself dragoon fashion . a marched on Tjskob. while the the obedience of Japan ha: Juat at this time came the war ot r " clared to be alwavs a nat , . , . . . Montenegrins began the siege of Scu- L eu lu De l""it)s 11 L fjRoxalana, Famous Fighter, Who Was thejlj Mother of Selim II. I'M'tiWM rrin -Tli,- Jlio f Tnrkry Tlx l.le l'l. tn-. f ti I". I'ntnaiu Svtut. lVt. whilo tlifeio waa a spurt, but In such cases the accomplishment of the fight ing man of Turkey was due to the energy and persistency of some one no matter how indolent or unpatriotic leader personally admired rather than or bestial a Turk may seem, the mo patriotic adhesion of the army. ment you put a sword in his hand he This was demonstrated in the 1877 swells with the lust of battle and will war with Russia. For five months a dle like a hero. With all his faults, strong army of Russians and Rouman- cowardice in battle Is declared to be lans laid siege to the fortress of an unknown quantity with him. It Is Plevna, held by Osman Pacha. The an odd fact- however, that his great Turks sortied repeatedly and alwaya est achievements were those dating with success. Inflicting damage and back to tha tlmo when he fought consternation on the allies. Starvation Janizary fashion rather than accord was the only key that finally got the lnS to modern ideas of war. besiegers within the walls., The 32.- Von Moltke, who taught the first 000 Turkish soldier defenders were army raised under the modernized with their commander to a man. per- system, had this to say concerning the forming valiant deeds daily during the battling outlook' for the Turkish sol siege. At his final command they made dier: a supreme effort to cut through the "The splendid appearance, the beau lines, and died willingly. It cost Rus- tIful arms- the reckless bravery of the sia 50,000 men to enter Plevna. The old Moslem horde had disappeared, yet world has since proclaimed Osman this new a"ny had one quality which Pacha a military genius of high grade Plaed it above the numerous host that and dubbed his army heroes. During the Irte could summon to the field in the war the Turkish soldier also won former times it obeyed." a worth-while victory over the Rus-t Thls would seem to be the key to elans at Kizil-teDe. In Asia, driving the the Puzzle of the Turkish soldier's ef- enemy back from Kars. The last war in the Balkans spelled defeat for the soldier of Turkey from the start. He was entirely unpre pared and was opposed by an array of allies who had been looking for the conflict almost hourly. Bulgaria poured into Thrace because of the Kotchana massacres. .She drove the Ottoman forces many miles. Turkey tari. The Greek navy got busy. It was a bad outlook for the fighting man of Turkey and he was defeated finally In the battles of Kirk Kilisse and Kuma- novo. Salonica surrendrrl utpr.' I'h.n Adrianople was encompassed and for a time It looked as though the lighting men of the husky allies would go right through to Constantinople. But inter nal dissension ,,and diplomacy of the CVAn fA. Tl r. .1-1. .... nn.rn.A U n C" . . 1 . losing everything he has in Europe. The Turk,sh BoWler had ,jone aU h(1 .,,. , . . uuu.u. &iAiiA.i-iiuueu wiiu uauieudrea neaa and the decay of patriotic ambi tion. A romantic individual case cf the fighting quality ot the soldier of Tur key is mat ot -rince J em or Zizim, as his name has often been called in Eu- rope. He was one of the sons of Mo- hammed II and much better fitted for the throne than his brother, Bayezid or Bajazet. He had energy, .vigor, grace, culture, ambition and a national pride, But Bajazet heard first of the death of his father and, hastening home, was first to reach Constantinople with bribes for the Janizary support. A civil war began between the brothers. In several battles Jem made a K , - of having been robbed of his throne through them. The chroniclers tell o; sineie combat that makn th. h.M - - - . , OX HODiera DerOCS lOoK Ilka Small af. fairs. Finallv Jem wn "h " - , that HS COUld not rallv annlhAr nmv other and kept in pawn to nlease his wife of Suleyman the Magnificent. Tha gniun h 1 form.r f.m.i.. , tJ , wife had a son, Mustafa, the ideal of ,,iv. .., ,T .', ""s .on ubuuuB iuaa. ne mneriiea his lather's talent and wisdom and Intervals. Roxelana bore Suleyman a son later Selim II. She saw no chance for Selim with Mustafa alive, Ready for the Bulgarians at Hademkiou, In the Recent Balkan Conflict. h TUr Knlkao U jr.- ly ; ll.l- Jraul (Wnll. Myiinrl lt4M!ou 1IMA. So through her plottings the Sultan waa convinced his son was a traitor and so had this valiant soldier come to Constantinople and enter his presence alone. From an inner chamber he saw seven mute executioners bowstring the young Prince. Roxelana's othei name was Khourrem, or the "Joyoua One." It is said she never was more, like her name than when she knew thia murder had been done. Twice after she Is said to have accompanied the Turkish army to battle in disguise of a man and to have killed several of the enemy. Analyzers of armies and their units have spent much time in discussing the value of the soldier of Turkey in the light of his decadence during the last two or three centuries. To most of these the star and crescent fighter is only under a cloud through which the sun of glory will shine again. To others the Turk is permanently eclipsed and only by amalgamation with some other nation, after a. political division has upset Europe and Africa, will his ancient spirit of battle be manifest In its full force again. Those who hold to the latter opinion are far in the minority in the list of authorities. Those who have studied the Otto man soldier at very close range and after a long residence near his side insist that the fighting spirit is ever inherent In the race. They assert that ficlency. Will he obey as Western armies are taught to obey? Has he had his fighting spurs clipped too short by compelling 1.1m to submit to the tactics of the West? Is he not perhaps still in a sort of transitional military state? While military obedience hi referred to as a Western character istic, there must not be forgotten the military obedience of Japan at the And yet been de- ional patriot- ,5m m arms vainer man a miinar bodv whose first duty it Is to obey and Question afterward, According to the law of Islam there was a distinct equality among all bat- tiers engaged in a righteous war and Sultans generally made their wars righteous ones. The old Turkish of ficers were content to lead without domineering, because of this. The spirit of change that has come out of the West makes the officer a superior being, who segregates himself, carries himself unnishlv and is not interested in the simple details of his soldiers' lives. In the recent Balkan war there were Turkish soldiers who displayed their old bravery, devotion, patience and calmness under fire. This would seem to surely indicate that the lesson of obedience had been learned. Yet stories come from Asia Minor that entire dl- visions had refused polntblank to take any part in the fight of their country against the allies. Since then have the fighting men of Turkey achieved a unified and solidified Dattnng ODe dlence? There is nothing to indicate it by anything sgnificant of recent happening. The Turk has not probably hla love of the sword nor the courage necessary to its wielding. But does the incentive to enthusiasm and .MtIT,1r, hii.nM xlst? ' " Salsify With Cream Dresing. (Pictorial Review.) Salsify is one of the vegetables most popular in the South, and while it is simplo to prepare, this vegetable al ways holds about it a "company dish" aspect. That Is one reason the Thanks giving table always bears a dish of salsify, or "oyster plant." as it is per haps better known in the East. Choose a dozen moderate-sized stalks scrape tnem until iney are wnite. Cu each staiK up into men length J""-". : . " . ,n ..n ii th water- .v . ". - aarK tint, tnen arain. rux. tne salsity back in fresh boiling water and cook until tender. Drain and crumble crackers into the dish and cover with a cream dressing or white sauce. If serving either raw oysters or oyster soup, save out several and chop them In with the salsify, aa it lends a very rich flavor to the vegetable.