THE LAST GREAT SELAMLIK
(1911)
A picturesque incident in the process of “Turkifying” took place in
Macedonia in May and June of 1911. Mahomet V arrived in Saloniki on
May thirty-first of that year on a battle-ship escorted by the greater
part of the Turkish fleet. It had been known for some days that he was
coming, as his advance guard, in the shape of tall flabby eunuchs, cooks,
etc., began to appear and lounge about in front of the principal hotels.
The town was liberally beflagged, and the different communities made
demonstrations in his honor, the Bulgarians showing especial enthusiasm.
He visited Uskub and Monastir and, from the former place, proceeded to
the Plain of Kossovo, where the decisive battle was fought which brought
the Turks and the Turkish blight into Europe. There on June 15, 1389, the
Sultan Amurath defeated the heroic Lazarus, King of the Serbians. This
Turkish victory, whose evil consequences have lasted down into our own
times, was made possible by treachery of Christian allies, the real cause
of all Turkish triumphs.
Amurath himself was slain, and it was in the plain where are found his
simple monument and a mosque in commemoration of his name, that Mahomet
V, the witless dotard and befuddled puppet of the Young Turk Committee,
called together all the various picturesque tribes of Turkey in Europe
for a grand _selamlik_, or service of prayer.
Besides civilians, some of whom are said to have walked for days to be
present, there were thousands of troops, and many famous regiments,
carrying ancient battle-torn flags. A huge tent had been erected for
the sultan, and the vast throng seated itself upon the ground. As the
priests recited the service and the thousands of worshippers bent their
foreheads to the earth and sat up again, the sea of red fezzes rose and
fell rhythmically like a wide field of poppies swayed by the wind.
There have been in the world’s history few more picturesque and
impressive sights than this last _selamlik_ on the ill-omened “Plain of
Blackbirds.”
I was presented to Mehmet (or Mohammed V) at Saloniki, and a more flabby,
pitiful, witless countenance it would be difficult to imagine. The bleary
eyes were puffy underneath, the lower lip dropped in slobbery fashion.
His Imperial Majesty was accompanied by several shrewd-faced prompters,
of the Europeanized type, and he never uttered a word without turning to
one of them with a helpless and infantile expression for directions as
to what to say or do. When the interview was finished, Mehmet turned his
back and started to walk away. He had gone but a few steps when one of
the prompters whispered to him, whereupon he faced about ponderously and
slowly twisted his features into a ghastly and mechanical grin. It was as
clear as any pantomime could be made that he had been instructed to smile
when taking leave, and had forgotten a part of his lesson.
Mehmet V had been kept in confinement all his life, practically, by his
brother, the great and cruel Abdul, by whom it was said that he had been
encouraged to absorb daily incredible quantities of _raki_. He was a
kindly harmless soul, who had been selected by Enver and the rest because
he had become practically an imbecile.
The great _selamlik_ made a strong appeal to the Turks, deeply stirring
their religious feelings, but it is needless to say that it did not
accomplish much toward “Turkifying” the Christian element. And all
this time the crafty Abdul, the famous “Sick Man” of Europe, one of
the greatest diplomats and murderers in the history of the world, was
confined with a small army of wives in the Villa Allatini at Saloniki.