2095) In The land of Kemal Pasha by Berthe-Georges Gaulis

In the Land of Kemal Pasha
by Berthe-Georges Gaulis
In The Living Age, March 11, 1922, pp. 573-576

As far back as I can remember and a great deal farther back than that, the inhabitants of the Bosporus have always thought of the Russians as a danger and a menace. Even as children we caught the prejudice from our Turkish neighbors, and whenever revolutionary clouds gathered on our horizon, never quite clear from promise of stormy times, we invariably thought the worst thing that could happen to us would be to have the Russians knock down the forts at the entrance to the Black Sea and take possession of Stamboul. Had it not always been the tradition to believe that some day they would inevitably conquer Turkey, make themselves overlords of the Black Sea by commanding its straits, and head of the Eastern Church by seizing old Byzantium? But there was more than a historical tradition behind our feeling.

There was a present and lively fear of a Muscovite avalanche. Although we were English, we dreaded and disliked thejRussians,as did our polyglotfriends.

If ever we heard cannonading, which was more frequent than you would believe, we used to say, cocking our ears, half as a joke and half in dread: ' Hear that ? The Russians are coming!'

I could not help thinking about this the other day when I stood

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