in Shishli gave an afternoon tea to introduce us to his set. He is a
prominent business man of Constantinople, and both his own position as
well as the prominence of his family have placed him and his charming
wife among the leaders of the Turkish social set of Shishli. They have
an attractive house on one of the principle avenues and entertain
frequently. His wife, like all the Turkish ladies of her set, has a
weekly “at home,” On these days one is sure to find a large crowd of
callers in her salons. She is a perfectly charming woman, very young
and beautiful. Her beauty is typically Turkish, tall and slender
although not emaciated, languid black eyes with long eyelashes. She
dresses exquisitely as she buys most of her frocks in Paris where she
goes periodically to renew her wardrobe. At the time they gave the
afternoon tea in our honour they had just refurnished their house with
furniture purchased on their last trip to Italy and France. It was the
first tea of the season and my cousin and his wife told us that all
their friends were very anxious to meet us. As theirs is a dancing set
the news that a Turk, freshly landed from America with his American
wife, would be present at the tea had created quite a sensation; they
were all keen to see the latest steps danced in the States. The dancing
reputation of the Americans is worldwide and the fact that my wife was
an American had stirred the interest of my cousins' friends. As for
me, they imagined that any one who had lived in America for such a long
time must of necessity be a good dancer. Only a very few of the members
of this set were known to me, and that very superficially, as I had met
them as small children when I had previously been in Constantinople.
Now most of them were married and had children of their own. So when we
arrived at my cousin's house we had to be introduced to every one. My
cousin, Salih Zia Bey, and his wife, Madame Zia Bey, did the honours
in that most exquisite modern Turkish fashion which, despite all its
westernization, has still kept something of the ceremony characteristic
of the old Turkey.
We were ushered in by a tiny Javanese maid. The drawing-room was
crowded. Both my wife and myself felt the strain of being the guests
of honour. We were somewhat conscious that we had to live up to the
expectation of our new friends and try not to disappoint them too much
with our terpsichorean abilities. Madame Zia Bey received us at the
tea-table, which was really a sort of large buffet piled with delicious
pastries, cakes, sandwiches and biscuits of all kinds. Tea, coffee or
a delicious punch were served according to the taste of the guests.
It was as elaborate as the cold supper buffets one sees in America at
large dances.
Madame Zia Bey, her sister-in-law and two other young ladies who were
helping the hostess to serve, were the only ones who did not have the
“charshaf”--all the other ladies wore this most becoming headgear which
is made of the same material as the dress and fits tightly around the
head, while its two flowing ends, which enclose the shoulders when the
ladies are in the street, hang loosely behind them when they are in the
house. Over the head a flimsy veil--generally some precious lace--is
thrown backwards at a rakish angle and frames the face, which remains
entirely uncovered, in a softening cloud. After serving us with some
tea and cakes, Madame Zia Bey passed us on to her husband who, one
by one as the occasion arose, introduced us to the guests. Later the
introductions were finished by Madame Zia Bey who joined us after she
had served all her guests at the tea-table.
We were glad to see a few of our friends from Prinkipo and the
Bosphorus but the majority of the guests were, of course, new to us.
There were two young men, two brothers, who were introduced to us as
the two “tango champions” of the set. I must say that they are very
nice young boys and, despite the fact that they dance most exquisitely,
they are not at all the type of dancing men one meets elsewhere. Their
sister was also there, with her fiancé. I wished that some of my
American friends who absolutely refused to believe that the custom
of arranging marriages between girls and boys who had not previously
met was a thing of the past in Turkey could have seen this couple.
Mademoiselle Rashid Bey and her fiancé had known each other for some
time and their marriage was the result of a genuine romance in which no
outsider had interfered.
There were only two or three foreigners among the guests, and the most
prominent of them was the Japanese Ambassador, who is quite popular in
the social circles of Constantinople. The Italian military attaché was
also present as well as a French officer. A Greek lady whose husband is
one of the very few prominent Greeks who have remained openly faithful
to the cause of Turkey was also there. Needless to say that she and
her husband are very much liked by the Turks who recognize their real
friends and show them true gratitude under all circumstances. The rest
of the crowd was exclusively Turkish, all most attractive and genuinely
refined people who had kept, despite their extreme westernization, the
good manners and the good breeding characteristic of their race.
When everybody had duly partaken of the delicacies and refreshments
offered at the tea-table, we adjourned--with the slight touch of
ceremony prevailing in all Turkish gatherings--to two spacious
drawing-rooms on the same floor. And, as we expected, the informal
dancing started to the sound of a gramaphone of the latest model
imported from America. It was a surprise for us to see how extremely up
to date everybody was. Charming Turkish girls were dancing the newest
steps as expertly as débutantes of New York, London and Paris--with a
little more decorum, perhaps, and certainly with less “abandon,” but
that did not in any way hurt the effect. Quite on the contrary it gave
to modern dances a degree of respectability which is not always found
in the West.
One other difference that we found was that the tango still reigned
supreme here. It was played at least seven or eight times during the
evening. But after seeing the excellence with which everybody danced it
my wife and I were quite reluctant to give a demonstration of our own
limited abilities. We had to immolate ourselves, however, and although
we did our best to come up to expectation, I am not quite certain that
we entirely succeeded. Of course I had to explain that I should not be
personally taken as an exponent of the American art as I was not and
never had been an expert in dancing. My wife saved the day for America
by tangoing with the real experts as perfectly as only an American girl
can.
This tea-party at my cousin's was our first experience of Turkish
social life. It was to be followed by many others during the winter.
As I have said before, all Turkish ladies belonging to this set have
a day at home every week and if one cares to go out extensively one
has somewhere to go practically every day. While we did not indulge
in daily social activities this gave us the opportunity to go out
every once in a while--about once or twice a week--which afforded
us a pleasant change from our more serious and much quieter life of
Stamboul, without obliging us to seek distraction by frequenting even
at long intervals the unhealthy amusement places of Pera.
Thus the Turks have found a way to amuse themselves among their own
people exclusively and while, of course, some foreigners are asked
to the parties of these small Turkish sets it is only a very few of
them--carefully selected--who are privileged to frequent Turkish
society. I am ready to admit, however, that to my mind the selection of
these foreigners should be done even more carefully as I share entirely
the views of my aunt, explained in one of my former chapters, that the
foreigners who are at present in Constantinople are not as a whole
very trustworthy and that it is very difficult to distinguish among
them those who can be, without any objection, taken within our homes.
All the more because the Turks are racially extremely hospitable and
they are therefore apt to show too much confidence and to become too
intimate with those they take in their midst. Many other races, many
other civilizations have gone down just because of their pure and
unsuspecting hospitality toward foreigners. The Turks cannot be blamed
for their present attitude. In fact, if they are at all to blame it
is that some of them are even too careless in their extreme desire to
become entirely westernized and despite the fact that I consider myself
extremely liberal in my ideas I entirely endorse the Turkish National
Assembly of Angora for remonstrating periodically with the Turkish
inhabitants of Constantinople for mixing too freely with foreigners
and for adopting too indiscriminately their customs. Right in the
middle of the 1921-1922 season the Turkish papers published broadcast
such a remonstrance of the National Assembly and although many of the
ill-disposed foreign newspapers took advantage of this to harp on
the xenophoby of the Turks ruling in Anatolia, it really was for the
purpose--very justifiable and commendable--of reminding the people of
Constantinople that they should respect and honour any and all of their
national traditions which did not hinder the continued advance of the
nation toward progress and real civilization. A reminder of this is an
absolute necessity and has to be uttered periodically, as the people
of Constantinople live at present right in the midst of every kind of
imported vices and immoralities and the first duty of a nation for the
protection of its vitality and its vigor is to see that the virtue of
its people is not contaminated.
Naturally, in view of their environment, the Turks of Constantinople
are in danger. The greatest majority of them have so far escaped
contamination by segregating themselves in Stamboul and in Nishantashe
but there are some who need to be called to attention once in a while
as the temptations in their path are too great. In justice to them I am
bound to say, however, that judging by what I have seen they keep their
morals and virtues unimpaired despite their gay and sometimes rather
“advanced” appearances. But still the danger is there and a periodical
warning is a very good measure.
Most of the Turkish social activities and entertainments are held in
the evenings, that is, from tea-time to about dinner-time. The Turks,
even those who live in Shishli, have neither the means nor the heart
to entertain elaborately, and big dinners or official receptions or
dances are much too elaborate affairs for them to undertake. So they
are satisfied with tea-parties with dancing--tango-teas they are
called--such as the one given by my cousin. The evening entertaining
is done exclusively by the foreign diplomatic missions and by some
prominent foreign business men. I am, of course, talking exclusively
of social entertainments which are refined enough for the Turks to
participate in. The other evening entertainments offered by the
professionals of Pera or by the doubtful social set of Perotes--Greeks,
Armenians and Levantines--are not taken into consideration.
The foreign diplomatic missions give once in a while special
receptions for the Turks to which are also invited the officials, the
representatives and the nationals of the countries which are, if not at
peace at least not at open war against the Turks. For instance, at any
of the receptions where Turks were invited Greek officials and Greek
nationals would shine by their absence and, according to the wind which
blows over Turco-British relations, British officials were absent or
present if the latest declaration at the House of Commons was to the
effect of reinforcing the English support to Greece or else had taken
the colour of a revival of the traditional British friendship towards
Turkey and the Muslim world. The shifts in international policy make
the official social life in Constantinople a very delicate matter
indeed, and the host or hostess who plans to give a large reception and
is obliged to make the necessary preparations considerably beforehand
has unquestionably a very hard task, as no one can foresee, a few days
in advance, what the prevailing international policy will be on the day
the reception is given. The only reception that I know of which was
given with a total disregard of international relations and at which
all officials and prominent citizens of all nations were invited was
the reception given at the Persian Embassy in honour of the Crown
Prince of Persia and despite all, it was the most successful reception
of the season in Constantinople.
The Crown Prince was on his way to France and was to stay only a few
days in Constantinople so that the Ambassador could not possibly
give several receptions to which he could have separately asked the
different warring nations. To ask only some at the single large
reception he was obliged to give would have alienated the friendship
of all those who had not been invited. So the Persian representative
bravely decided to ask everybody without distinction of nationality and
without regard to the political situation, and let events take their
course.
Naturally, events were powerfully helped by the “savoir faire” and the
courtesy of the Persian representative and of his wife who were so
charming and hospitable to all their guests that every one enjoyed the
reception most thoroughly. Of course we were all anticipating with much
curiosity the experience and were anxious to see how it would turn out.
The Persian Embassy is in Stamboul, only a few doors from our home,
and the fact that the wife of the representative was an American and
that we knew them both in America had established most cordial friendly
relations between them and ourselves. So we were delighted to comply
with the request of Her Excellency the Khanoum, who asked us to come
early so as to be present when her first guests arrived; and soon after
dinner my wife and I made our way to the Embassy.
The Persian mission is located in a big building which had been
repainted for the occasion. It is in the center of a large garden and
has a gorgeous view of the Bosphorus from over the Sublime Porte. Over
the big entrance gate of the garden it has the Persian emblem, a lion
and a rising sun. The garden had been decorated for the occasion with
flags of all nations and multi-coloured lanterns, while on a mast in
the center floated majestically a huge Persian standard. Concealed
among the trees a Turkish Naval Band, graciously loaned by the Navy
Department, was playing different pieces of music. Attendants in
Persian uniforms with small black kolpaks received, on the marble steps
of the Embassy, the arriving guests. We were among the first to come
and it gave us an opportunity of admiring the rich antique Persian
carpets with which the enormous entrance hall had been decorated. The
whole place was covered with shimmering hangings, carpets and rugs
and with plants and rare flowers. At the top of the stairs stood the
Khan and the Khanoum with the entire staff of the Embassy, all in
uniform and decorations. The Khanoum wore her beautifully embroidered
Persian court gown and her diamond decorations and greeted us with
the ineffable charm which has won for her the hearts of all who have
met her in three continents. She took my wife by the hand and brought
us into one of the principal salons from where we could have a view
of the gardens. She informed us that the Crown Prince was resting in
his private apartment on the floor above, awaiting the arrival of the
principal guests to hold his court. As the guests were now arriving the
Khanoum returned to the head of the stairs to greet them.
From where we were we could also see the central hall where a special
dais had been built to serve as a throne for the Crown Prince. The
guests were placed in the different drawing-rooms, according to their
individual social or official position, the most important ones waiting
in the first drawing-room and the others in the drawing-rooms behind.
Soon the Naval Band outside was playing the different national anthems
of the different diplomatic representatives as they were coming in.
One of the first to arrive was the British High Commissioner and his
wife who took their place right at the door of the drawing-room where
we were waiting. After a few minutes and as the band was starting
the Turkish National Anthem, which indicated that the personal
representative of the Sultan and of the Crown Prince of Turkey had
arrived, the Persian Crown Prince came in and took his place under
the dais with his brother and the Khanoum on his right and the Khan
and the Turkish Grand Master of Ceremonies on his left. Every one
stood at attention. The Crown Prince is a young man, dark and good
looking with a small, closely clipped black mustache. He looked slim
and tall in his tight-fitting long black court dress, and appeared
that evening somewhat tired and nervous, which after all was quite
natural considering that he had just arrived from a very long and
tedious trip across the Persian deserts, Bolshevik Caucasia, and the
Black Sea As soon as he had taken his place the Turkish Mission was
ushered in and I am frank to admit that I was proud of the appearance
of our representatives. The Sultan was represented by his Minister of
Foreign Affairs, General Izzet Pasha, an imposing man of about fifty,
with gray mustaches, his fez slightly tilted on one side giving a
martial expression to his distinguished and refined face. The Turkish
Crown Prince was represented by his son, Prince Omer Farouk Effendi,
an athletic young man in the uniform of a cavalry lieutenant, tall and
well built, blond hair and blue eyes. They were both surrounded with
young officers who clicked their heels martially when they were being
introduced to the Persian Crown Prince. After the Turkish Mission the
foreign missions were introduced one by one according to the seniority
of their respective heads and when the British Mission had closed the
official train--the British High Commissioner being the most recent
foreign appointee in Constantinople--the turn came for the other
guests. Because of our privileged position in the first drawing-room
our turn came immediately after the official missions and when we made
our reverence to the Crown Prince he cordially shook us by the hand and
addressed us in a few kind words in French. We then passed into the
big ballroom where all the guests had gathered, and the painful ordeal
of all official receptions, where you have to greet with stereotyped
words the different people you know, began. But it did not last long
at this reception, as there was informal dancing and as soon as the
music started the ice was broken and the usual relaxation set in. We
danced a little and we watched the crowd which was the most interesting
agglomeration of official people one could see anywhere. Even the Greek
Mission was present, but its members had the good taste to disappear
soon after the dancing had started. Prominent diplomats of all nations
and dashing officers in resplendent uniforms were talking and joking
with each other as if the war had never taken place, or if peace had
really been established. But the most stunning figure of all and
the one which attracted the most attention, was unquestionably that
of a young Arab prince, cousin of Emir Feigal, King of Mesopotamia,
and direct descendant of the Prophet Mahomed. The prince, or more
correctly the “shereef,” as his real title is, was clad in a flowing
robe of silk and had the Arab headgear, a white silk cover tightly
bound on the head by a band of gold threads and loosely floating on
the shoulders. We were talking with some American friends, a dear
old lady of the Middle West and her husband who is a teacher at the
American Robert College, when the Shereef recognized me and came to
speak to us. Naturally, I introduced him to my wife and our friends,
and as he spoke English most fluently, as he looked most romantic in
his robe, and his blond beard gave a Christ-like expression to his
aristocratic features, our friends were visibly very much impressed
by him. When he left us the lady of the Middle West, all a-flutter,
asked me who he was--and could not conceal her terrible disappointment
when I informed her he was a “Shereef”! The dear old lady confused the
title with the functions of a sheriff charged with the keeping of the
peace in English-speaking countries, and her disappointment as well
as the ignorance of her husband, who did not correct her, amused us
so that we did not explain, and to this day I imagine that they both
are firmly convinced that sheriffs in Turkey wear too gorgeous and too
impracticable uniforms.
Towards midnight the doors of the dining-room were opened and every one
went down stairs to have cold supper. The crowd was such that despite
the rather chilly weather of the season many wandered in the gardens.
It is here that I was for the first time introduced to His Highness
Izzet Pasha, Minister of Foreign Affairs, who was later to show me
many marks of friendship. He of course knew my father and my family
and immediately put my wife and myself at our ease by stating that he
wanted to be considered by us as an “Oncle.” This is a mark of extreme
courtesy in Turkey and we were, and have been ever since, duly grateful
to Izzet Pasha for this and for his subsequent real friendship. Be it
said in parentheses that Izzet Pasha is one of the ablest statesmen of
Europe, broadminded, most progressive and democratic.
As the crowd was thinning we had an opportunity to talk some more to
the Persian representative and to the Khanoum who were justly delighted
with the remarkable success of their reception. They had dared to
bring together all the representatives of different nations at war
and of nations who had not yet concluded peace and they had been most
successful in their endeavour. This was especially remarkable as it
took place right in Constantinople which is and has been for many years
the center of international intrigues, political rivalries and petty
jealousies. We could congratulate them therefore most truthfully. They
took us back into a small sitting-room on the first floor where we had
a few minutes private audience with the Crown Prince who courteously
expressed the hope that we had enjoyed the reception. Upon learning
that my wife was American he stated his admiration for the United
States which he hopes to be able to visit some time. It surely would
be a very good thing for the world if through visits of this kind the
western world was placed in a position to know and appreciate the
Orient. The American idea of an Oriental potentate would surely be
greatly revised if Oriental princes such as the Persian Crown Prince
and the Turkish Imperial Princes came to America and entered into
personal touch with the people.
Of course the Oriental feminine element was entirely absent from the
reception at the Persian Embassy, the Persians being in this respect
much stricter than the Turks, their women do not go out in society and
as Persian ladies were not to be present, Turkish ladies also remained
away. But this is not the case at the receptions given by the other
Embassies, especially the American Embassy.
The United States High Commissioner and his wife give every season
a series of entertainments to which they ask in turn the different
nations represented in Constantinople. This solves very diplomatically
the always ticklish problem of bringing inadvertently together
representatives of nations who are not on good terms. The receptions
given at the American Embassy are always most enjoyable and I can say
without exaggeration that among all the foreign representatives it is
the American High Commissioner and his wife who are the most liked--and
liked indiscriminately by all--in Constantinople. Whenever they give an
entertainment to which the Turkish society is invited the drawing-rooms
of the Embassy are filled to full capacity as all the Turks who are
asked want to show their appreciation by coming to the party. The
company is always the most representative gathering that one can see
in Constantinople. At one of the “thé dansants” they gave recently
there were, besides all the Turkish Government officials, not less than
four Imperial Princes and three Princesses. It surely is a sign of the
times and proof of the emancipation of Turkish women to see at a large
reception a Turkish Princess, a niece or cousin of the reigning Calif,
freely talking to strangers.